


Lover Of Mine

by 96tomlinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Because its fem larry, Broken Engagement, Cheating, Childhood Friends, F/F, FEM LARRY, Famous Harry Styles, Famous Louis Tomlinson, Fashion Designer Louis, Fluff, Insomnia, Marriage Proposal, Photographer Harry Styles, Smoking, Smut, Songwriter Harry Styles, Their names are actually Louise and Harriet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:47:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23837794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/96tomlinson/pseuds/96tomlinson
Summary: When we two partedIn silence and tears,Half broken-heartedTo sever for years,Pale grew thy cheek and cold,Colder thy kiss;Truly that hour foretoldSorrow to this.The dew of the morningSunk chill on my brow--It felt like the warningOf what I feel now.Thy vows are all broken,And light is thy fame;I hear thy name spoken,And share in its shame.They name thee before me,A knell to mine ear;A shudder comes o'er me--Why wert thou so dear?They know not I knew thee,Who knew thee too well--Long, long shall I rue thee,Too deeply to tell.In secret we met--In silence I grieve,That thy heart could forget,Thy spirit deceive.If I should meet theeAfter long years,How should I greet thee?--With silence and tears.[When We Two Parted by Lord Byron]Or a cheating AU where sometimes it’s better to let someone go.P.S: If you want to read this without the smut, you can read it on Wattpad where it’s posted with the same name and the same account <3
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [halfandhalfbstrd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfandhalfbstrd/gifts).



> Hey, this fiction’s dedicated to my dear and adored best friend, Joanna (@hoe_for_larry). If you’re reading this, J, I hope you like it. Love you. Muah :)
> 
> Also, before you start reading this, please read the tags to make sure nothing in it makes you uncomfortable. If it does, then I recommend you read a different book otherwise, happy reading!
> 
> This work is completely fictional and has no relevance to real life. Please understand that before proceeding. 
> 
> Here’s a playlist that I joined together to relate to each chapter. Make sure to give them a listen before reading if you can:
> 
> •Adore You- Harry Styles  
> •Wildflower- 5 Seconds Of Summer  
> •Sunflower Vol 6- Harry Styles  
> •Black and White- Niall Horan  
> •18- One Direction  
> •Perfect- Ed Sheeran  
> •If I Could Fly- One Direction  
> •Sweet Creature- Harry Styles

**Louise’s POV**

_➳♡_

_2004  
Ages: 5/6_

_"Hi, I'm Louise.”_

_It was the first day of kindergarten and the teacher had asked everyone to get to know each other. Louise currently stood in front of a girl who had a pretty mess of curls on her head and soft pale skin. Louise noticed her first when she entered her class, watching the girl interact a bit with the teachers before secluding herself into a corner and quietly doing whatever she was on a piece of paper._

_There was an awkward pause before she became aware of Louise's presence, eyes widening as she squeaked out, "Oops I'm sorry! Hi. I'm Harriet." Her cheeks reddened from embarrassment while Louise just smiled and took a seat beside her. She peeped at Harriet's drawing of what seemed to be a garden, the sky and a stick figure._

_"I like your drawing." Harriet grinned at the appreciation and showed it properly to Louise, clearly proud of what she made. "Thank you! I drew the garden that’s at my house and myself in it."_

_"That's what you want to be when you grow up? An artist?" Harry nodded shyly at the paper before looking back up to Louise. "What be you want to be when you grow up?"_

_Louise brought her hand on her chin and pretended to stroke her imaginary beard before speaking, "I would like to be an astronaut. I want to fly to the moon and live there with the aliens."_

_Harriet frowned. "Aren't the aliens supposed to be on Mars?" Louise patted her back and shook her head. "No, silly. Aliens can be anywhere. Maybe even here." She lowered her voice and wiggled her eyebrows, bringing out her hands, growling as she pretended to scare the curly haired girl. Harriet giggled and shouldered Louise before going back to the drawing in her lap, trying to hide the grin taking over her face._

_Louise noticed the dimple on her cheeks and poked it, "You're cute." That action caused Harriet to blush, covering her face with her hands as she pushed Louise away and making her laugh. She continued, “I also really like your curls. Hey, maybe I can keep that as my nickname for you. Curly!”_

_“That’s a weird nickname.”_

_“Too bad, Curly because I’m calling you that from now on. It suits you.”_

_➳♡_

_2008  
Ages: 9/10_

_Louise held the football in her hand as she instructed Harriet on how to play. "You use your inner and outer side of your dominant foot to pass the ball to the other opponent, okay? Let's first start with that."_

_She placed the ball in front of the girl and them stepping back, watching as Harriet inspected the ball. She looked up and huffed, making Louise nod her head in encouragement. "Come on, Haz."_

_Harriet lifted her foot and slowly nudged the ball, making it only move an inch. She groaned, "I suck at this." Louise chuckled but before she could point out that Harriet needed to use more of her strength, there was a loud knock on the gate following with the door bell._

_“Might be them.” She walked towards the gate and peeked through the peephole, smiling as she opened it and welcomed them in._

_“Oh hey guys, didn’t expect you to be here.”_

_“Hey Lou, just wanted to see if you were free to hang out?”_

_“Yeah, come in. Harriet’s here as well.”_

_Liam, Nick and Niall strolled inside and sat on the sidelines of the garden, waving to Harriet in greeting as she went and sat next to them as well. Louise narrowed her eyes when Nick scooted closer to her and leaned into her, whispering something in her ear and making her giggle. She huffed and walked to the ball and picked it up._

_"What are you doing with a football?" Nick laughed._

_Louise narrowed her eyes, locking them with him, her glare prominent. "What do you usually do with a football, Grimmy?" She smiled sweetly._

_Nick snickered, "Clearly something that girls can't do since they're weak. I bet you can't even score a goal on me."_

_Liam made a noise in his throat, "Shouldn't do that to yourself, Nick. I've seen her play and she's actually a decent player."_

_"Awe. Thank you Li. I take you up on that challenge, Nick."_

_“What do you mean?”_

_Louise blinked, “I want to see if I can score a goal on you.”_

_“It’s not going to happen, though.”_

_“Oh come on, don’t be such a loser. If_

_He clicked his tongue, eyes fixed on Louise as he stood up and walked towards the goal. She placed the ball on the ground and held Nick’s stare, reciprocating it back two times harder. Harriet watched the scene unfold before her, hidin her smile because she knew what Louis_

_"Ready, Grimmy?"_

_"This is going to be a piece of cake."_

_He bent his knees a bit, standing in the right position of a goal keeper, hands in front of him. Louise took a few steps back, aiming before running towards it and kicking it, nailing it right into Nick's balls._

_"Oomph!"_

_Harriet covered her mouth in shock while the other boys cringed at Nick wincing in pain, lying on the ground, covering his crotch with both his hands._

_"Whoops. I guess you were right, Grimmy. I really can't score a goal on you." She shrugged and pouted mockingly before picking up her football, walking up to Harriet, who sat there trying to stifle her laughter. Louise grinned._

_"Let's go inside, it's proper hot out here." She wiped a few beads of sweat off of her forehead and grabbed onto Harriet's hand, making her groan._

_"Lou, your hands are sweaty!"_

_She smirked, "Oh don't whine, Curly. You can wash 'em inside."_

_As if she'd forgotten about the rest of them, she turned around to look at them. "You lot should come inside as well. I think mum's made watermelon juice so we can all refreshen from that." She turned back around and went to walk inside her house, but Harriet elbowed her._

_Louise looked at her questioningly. She motioned to where the boys were helping Nick up, making her roll her eyes. "Nick, come inside, I'll give you an ice pack," she reluctantly spoke, and was rewarded with Harriet's winning smile._

_  
➳♡_

_2012  
Ages: 13/14_

_"Haz? Have you ever thought of your first kiss?"_

_The sudden question surprised Harriet, making her head snap to where Louise lay on her bed, eyes casted low, twiddling with the hem of her shirt. She nodded, sitting on the desk chair across the room._

_"Yeah, I have. I've even imagined who it would be with loads of times." Louise furrowed her eyebrows, still looking down as she frowned deeply._

_"Must be nice, huh? Knowing the person you like, likes you back."_

_Harriet raised her eyebrow before standing up and plopping herself next Louise. "I don't know whether the person i like, likes me back."_

_Louise snorted before finally meeting Harriet's eyes, "are you kidding? Everyone knows he likes you. He literally ogles you whenever you say hi."_

_Harriet stared at her. "Who are you talking about, again?"_

_Louise looked back down and started playing with her shirt again. "Aiden. Half the school wants you guys to get together since he’s the football team captain and you’re the head of the cheer team," she mumbled._

_There was sudden laughter in the room, coming from Harriet, making Louise pout. "Why are you laughing?"_

_Harriet continues to laugh, abruptly stopping when Louise chucks a pillow at her, nailing it right in her face. "Ow. I'm laughing because the whole idea's so absurd. You really think I'd want Aiden of all people to be my first kiss?"_

_"Why not?"_

_Harriet looks down, cheeks turning a shade of red, and twiddles with her fingers. "I told you. It's someone else."_

_Louise scoots closer to Harriet, their knees touching as they sat in front of each other, Harriet still looking down. It was currently 2 am, Harriet's mum, Athene, had allowed her to have a sleepover at Louise's, seeing as they'd known each other for eight years now. It was Louise's idea to stay up late since it was a Friday night, and neither of them were tired._

_"Who is it?"_

_Just when Harriet looked up, Louise noticed how the soft moonlight from the window, the only light in the room, casted over the side of her face, making her eyes look a bit of a darker shade of blue. She saw how Harriet swallowed, seeming somewhat nervous, making Louise frown. Before she could say anything though, Harriet's lips were on hers, making her go stock still with surprise. Two seconds later, Harriet pulled back, her eyes frantic as she immediately started rushing out apologies._

_"Oh my god, Lou, I'm so sorry, like really sorry. I didn't even ask you, and I messed everything up. I'm sorry. I'm sure you hate me now because I stole your first kiss when you probably had been waiting for someone else to—"_

_Harriet stopped when she heard giggling, eyes closing in on Louise covering her mouth as to stop the laughter from escaping. When she got mildly in control, she spoke, "you're cute when you ramble."_

_She pulled her in for a proper kiss, neither of them sure of what to do since it was their first time doing it. They parted for air, making eye contact and then falling on their backs in a fit of giggles. After they'd calmed down, Harriet looked at Louise, searching her eyes for clarity. "So, you don't hate me, do you?"_

_Louise shook her head, "of course not. I've wanted to kiss you for so long."_

_Harriet smirked, "oh yeah?" Louise nodded, making her grin. She lifted herself up and hovered over Louise, her necklace hanging off of her neck as she lowered her head and kissed her._

_"Me too."_

_A few minutes passed by while Louise and Harriet cuddled in bed as she stroked Harriet's back slowly. There was silence around them until Harriet started humming a tune softly. Louise looked at her to find her eyes closed, a content smile on her face as she continued to hum._

_"Are you seriously humming 'I kissed a girl' by Katy Perry?"_

_Louise noticed her cheeks colour as she bit her lower lip, stopping her humming, "It's true, innit? I can finally relate to the song."_

_Louise raised her eyebrow, "Oh? Do you have a boyfriend that I don't know about?"_

_Harriet rolled her eyes before turning over, facing Louise, "You shush. Let me have my moment."_

_She smiled, "As long as there are no boyfriends involved, I can manage that."_

_Harriet elbowed Louise before turning back around, sighing happily at being the little spoon as Louise kissed her temple before whispering,_

_"Goodnight, Curly."_

_➳♡_

_2016  
Ages: 17/18_

_"Hazza, where are you taking us?"_

_Louise looked to her side to meet Harriet’s eyes, concern written all over her face, making her reach out to hold her hand and squeeze it, smiling when Louise squeezes it back. "Don't worry, we're almost there."_

_"Where are we going though? It's been half an hour of being on this deserted road."_

_Louise’s eyes followed Harriet’s movements as she stopped the car and switched off the engine before existing the vehicle, coming over to Louise’s side and opening the door. "Come out."_

_"I've been out since 7th Grade."_

_Harriet huffed out a laugh before taking a hold of Louise’s hand and gently pulling her out. They started walking on the side path before turning left to the side lines of the river that Louise had never seen before._

_"Okay we're here."_

_She looked around as Harriet gauged her reaction, taking in her surroundings before her eyes landed on Harriet with a questioning gaze, "Why are we here?"_

_Harriet looked down at her phone to see that it was exactly 9:00 pm, making her take a deep breath. "So, basically, I got to know about this place a few weeks ago and ever since then, I knew I had to bring you here and then top it off with-"_

_Louise jumped at the sudden sound of fire crackers, making Harriet stop talking before she held both of Louise’s hands and brought her closer. "-asking you to prom. Lou, will you go to prom with me?"_

_Louise stared at her for what seemed like the longest minute before she started laughing. Harriet frowned, her expression confused.. "What?"_

_"Oh my god, Curly. You seriously came all the way here just so you could ask me to prom?"_

_"Isn't that what people do?"_

_"Well, yeah but you already knew I was going to go with you."_

_Harriet looked down, her cheeks reddening from embarrassment. She mumbled, "I know, but I also know I’m going to marry you some day. That doesn’t make an excuse for me to not propose now does it? Besides, I've always wanted to ask you to prom."_

_In an instant, Louise was embracing her, tucking her face in Harriet’s neck. "I love it. Yes, I'll go to prom with you."_

_Harriet grinned before kissing Louise’s forehead and then her nose. She picked her up and swung her around, both of them laughing before they became quiet._

_They walked nearer to the river and sat down, Harriet resting her head on top of Louise's shoulder while Louise rested hers on top of Harriet's head._

_Harriet lifted her head and looked over at Louise. She whispered, "I love you, Lou."_

_Louise enclosed their hands together before wrapping her right arm around Harriet's back, whispering, "I love you too, Haz."_

_•••_

_"You look beautiful tonight," Harriet commented, her hands wrapped around Louise's neck as they swayed together, Louise's arms on her waist._

_"Darling, you're the most gorgeous one here."_

_They'd arrived at the school prom an hour ago, after Louise picked Harriet up from her house. Harriet wore a dress with multiple shades of purple and she had her hair untied, her curls and her dress making her look like an actual angel. Louise wore a teal dress, with a design similar to Harriet's and she had her hair straightened for the event._

_After chatting up with a few people, Louise had pulled Harriet away to get a few slow dances together. They were currently playing 'Falling' by a man who Louise couldn't pin point, but it was heartfelt and beautiful nonetheless. She actually really liked his voice and the way he sang._

_They looked into each other's eyes as Harriet rested her forehead against Louise's. They moved quietly just like the couples around them, only hushed whispers being transferred as the DJ played the song._

**_'You said you cared'_ **

**_'And you missed me, too'_ **

**_'And I'm well aware I write too many songs about you'_ **

_"It's a pretty sad song innit?" Harriet spoke up. Louise hummed. Harriet continued, "A person has be going through some very powerful emotions to be able to write those kind of beautiful lyrics. Sounds kind of painful."_

_Louise sighed, "Strong emotions are what produce such honest and artful content, sweetheart."_

_"What do you think happened?"_

_"With what?"_

_"This man and his lover."_

_Louise took a few minutes to think, resting her chin on top of Harriet's head. "I suppose they left him after things got messy. They probably had a huge fight and his lover ended it."_

_Harriet frowned, "Well, that's stupid. They could've talked things through."_

_Louise rubbed their noses together. "You never know. The lover might have been going through some of their own shit at the time and maybe they got overwhelmed with all of it. If I'm not mistaken, there were lyrics that about him not meaning what he said and that he couldn't take them back. So he must've said something that brought the lover over the edge, probably."_

_Harriet giggled, "It's like we're doing a whole analysis on it."_

_Louise chuckled, "Yeah, let's stop with the depressing shit and let's go get some punch. We'll get the last dance."_

_➳ _♡__

_2019  
Ages: 20/21_

_"Mum! I got in!"_

_Louise ran down the stairs, and towards the kitchen where her mother sat, drinking tea. She held her laptop before her, showing her the email that she'd received from a university in London. Her mother took in a deep breath, then looked at Louise with excited eyes, jumping into her embrace._

_"Oh my god. Lou, you've waited so long for this. I'm so proud of you!"_

_When they pulled apart, both the mother and the daughter had tears in their eyes. Her sister, Madison entered not a minute later, raising her eyebrows in confusion at the scene in front of her._

_"I got in, Mads! I'm going to London for my fashion designing course!"_

_Madison's eyes widened as she searched Louise's face for any sign of bluff before she wrapped her in a hug. They held each other for a while, after which Louise pranced around the house, over the moon with the news that she was finally going to the university she'd wanted to for a while._

_When she'd calmed down after a few hours, she called the one person who mattered to her the most._

**_"Hello?"_ **

_She smiled at the sound of her voice._

_"Hey Haz."_

**_"Hello stranger. Been a long time since we spoke, eh?."_ **

_Louise chuckled. "Were you sleeping just now before I called? Your voice sounds raspier than usual."_

**_"Uhm yeah. I was watching a cooking show with mum and I guess I dozed off. Nothing much to do anymore now that you aren’t here.”_**

_”Same here.”_

_After Harriet had gotten out of high school, her family shifted to Holmes Chapel. Louise was reluctant to let Harriet leave, watching as she left with a broken expression. It had been a sad couple of weeks for the both of them, but ever since Harriet's had left Doncaster, the two of them had been attached to their phones or laptops, texting back and forth and making sure the other knew how much they were being missed. Until last week when Madison had needed Louise’s full attention with something of hers that she has been working on for school._

_"Haz?"_

**_"Yeah Lou?"_ **

_"You know the university I applied to in London?"_

_She heard Harriet hold her breath as she spoke, **"Yeah?"**_

_There was a pregnant pause as Louise tried to create the suspense before dropping the news._

_"Well, they emailed me today and I got in!"_

_She grinned when Harriet gasped before squealing in happiness. **"No way. Lou, are you serious?"**_

_Louise nodded, realising Harriet couldn't see her, "Yeah, baby. We can finally live the dream that we'd always wished about, you and I shifting to London and doing our courses while living together."_

_Harriet had applied for a different university since she'd wanted to take a photography course. Both their ideal universities were close to each other so neither of them really had a problem with studying in different places, as long as they lived in the same place._

**_"God, I really wish I could kiss you right now. I'm so happy for you, love."_ **

_Louise giggled, a content smile on her lips as she asked, "When do your classes start?"_

_Harriet hummed, **"I think the first one doesn't start until August so I've got about five months to plan out everything. Yours?"**_

_"Mid September. We've got enough time to figure everything out. I can't believe this is actually happening."_

**_"Neither can I. God. This feels absolutely unreal."_ **

_•••_

_"I think that's the last of those boxes."_

_Louise stood up and dusted off her hands, looking around to find the whole place filled with cardboard boxes. "Damn, this is going to take a lot of time to unpack, won't it?"_

_Harriet's chuckles sounded the room as she entered, eyes wandering around the place, still surprised by the fact that they finally got their own house to start a family in. "You've got a good choice, huh?"_

_Louise walked up to Harriet, holding her by the waist before dipping down to get a kiss. "Of course, I do. I picked you to be my missus , didn't I?" She murmured, making Harriet blush before she pulled away, grabbing onto Louise's hands instead._

_"Let's dance."_

_"Dance? Where did that come from?"_

_Harriet shrugged, pulling onto Louise's hands and going around in a circle. She laughed out loud before steadying herself as well as Harriet, then placing her hands on Harriet's shoulders, and the both of Harriet's hands going on top of Louise's waist._

_"It may or may not have been a dream of mine to dance around with my significant other in our new place."_

_Louise raised her eyebrow, "Is that so?" When Harriet nodded, she backed away and went to her phone, shuffling through her playlist before picking a song._

_“What are you doing?”_

_"Now we can't dance without some music, now can we?"_

**_'I dare you to love me'_ **

**_'The pretty and the ugly'_ **

**_'If you're alone, I'll make it better'_ **

**_'We could be alone together'_ **

_Harriet frowned, "Which song's this one?"_

_Louise came back to stand in front of Harriet, putting her hands back into place before swaying them both side to side. "It's 'Alone Together' by Sabrina Carpenter and it's bloody beautiful."_

**_'Love me in the meantime, wish you would'_ **

_Louise and Harriet danced like that for a while, moving slowly while looking intently into each others eyes, expressions completely overtaken by fondness, adoration and love. They smiled at each other, humming along to the song, otherwise staying quiet and embracing the silence and calm._

**_'And if we're all alone in a crowded room'_ **

**_'Maybe we could be alone, just me and you'_ **

**_'Baby, if you jump, then I'll jump too'_ **

_"You have no idea how much I've wished for this," Louise whispered._

_"Dancing to this song in our empty apartment?"_

_"It's not an empty apartment, but no. I've always wished for a life with you by my side. After experiencing so much with you, I feel like it's too good to be true, like I'm in a dream and any second I'll wake up from it."_

_"It's surreal, isn't it?"_

_Louise pecked Harriet before placing her head on her shoulder. "I wouldn't have it any other way."_

_She felt Harriet smile, resting her head on top of Louise's. "Neither would I."_

**_'If you're alone, I'll make it better'_ **

**_'We could be alone'_ **

_As the song slowly came to an end, Harriet and Louise stayed the way they were, wrapped contently in each other's arms, happiness radiating off of them._

**_'We could be alone'_ **

**_'We could be alone together'_ **

_"I love you, Haz."_

_"I love you, Lou."_

_➳♡_

_2021  
Ages: 23/24_

_"Hello, Miss Styles."_

**_"Hey, Lou."_ **

_"How's the photoshoot going?"_

**_"It's going well. I made friends with a few people on set but the model can get a bit cranky sometimes. Frustrates the hell out of me."_ **

_Louise hummed, "Have you explored Italy, though? Did you go out and actually enjoyed yourself?_

_Harriet nodded, " **I actually met this man who's also part of the whole photoshoot here. He offered a tour since he'd lived here for a while. His name's Maximus."**_

_"That's nice. I'm glad your work isn't completely consuming your time there. You're coming next week, right?"_

**_"Yeah, of course. Christmas with you is always something I look forward to."_ **

_Louise smiled at the screen, watching Harriet as she quietly cuddled into her blanket, looking soft as ever. It was 12 am in Doncaster where Louise had come back to celebrate Christmas and her birthday with her family._

_She'd promised Louise she'll be in Doncaster on her birthday which is next week. Louise had arrived home early since she didn't really have any work to do that required her to stay in London. She figured that if anything came up, she could do it at her family house._

_"What time's your flight?"_

**_"It's 5 am, so I'll be reaching Doncaster around 6. I know how tough mornings are for you so don't bother with picking me up. I'll catch a cab and arrive at the house myself."_ **

_Louise rested her chin on her palm as she watched Harriet's eyes droop, probably from weariness from work._

_"Go to sleep now, baby. I'll call you in the afternoon tomorrow."_

_Harriet let out a soft noise, **"Okay, Lou. I miss you and I love you."**_

_Her words came out muffled and slurred, making Louise smile at her with fondness before blowing a kiss at her. "I love you and I miss you too. Goodnight, my love."_

**_"Goodnight."_ **

_•••_

_Louise woke up to a warm body pressed against hers, a soft hand caressing her back as short breaths were puffed into her hair. She hummed and cuddled closer to the warmth, enclosing her arms tightly around the waist before looking up at the face. "Hi."_

_Harriet looked down at her and smiled, placing a kiss on her forehead, "Hi, baby. I missed you."_

_"I missed you too. How was the flight?"_

_"Tiring. There was a bit turbulence and I couldn't sleep because of it. I even had a girl take a selfie with me after asking, “Hi. You’re Louise Tomlinson’s girlfriend right?” She seemed nice. I'm knackered, though."_

_She frowned, “You’ve done photoshoots for famous people, though. You shouldn’t be known as ‘Louise Tomlinson’s girlfriend’. It should be as ‘Harriet Styles’.”_

_“I don’t mind being known as yours.”_

_Louise shifted a bit to her side, making some space for Harriet to lay down properly, smiling fondly. "Sleep. I'm sure mum won't mind you resting."_

_Harriet stared at her in amusement._

_"Are you going back to bed, as well?"_

_"Of course. Can't let my girlfriend sleep alone in my own bed, now can I? Sleep before the younger ones find out you're here."_

_"I miss Millie and Lana so I wouldn't mind that."_

_"Sleep, Haz."_

_Harriet chuckled, "Alright. Merry Christmas, Lou."_

_"Merry Christmas, Haz."_

_➳♡_

_2023  
Ages: 25/26_

_Louise decided to surprise Harriet with tickets to Paris._

_The first three days had gone smoothly. They'd visited many cafes, had gone to the bridge and admired the Eiffel Tower. Louise had also rented a private boat, seeing as Harriet had always wanted to see the view whilst sitting on a boat in the Seine River. Louise still doesn’t know how they managed to not get noticed but she isn’t complaining._

_On the fourth night, Louise took Harriet to a rooftop restaurant, Terrass" Hotel, with a view of the city. The whole time, Harriet had been in awe with the place, eyes raking the lights that illuminated the city and also the familiar shape of the Eiffel Tower. After they had their dinner, Louise and Harriet just sat there, taking in each other and what their life had become._

_All of a sudden, a photographer showed up at their table. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle. May I take a few pictures of you two?" Louise nodded and reached out for Harriet's hand, holding it as they both looked into each other's eyes, hearing the clicking of the camera. Louise crossed her eyes while grinning, making Harriet giggle and cover her mouth._

_The photographer flashed them a smile before speaking, "May you please stand in front of the view, beside your table?"_

_"Of course." Louise stood up before walking behind Harriet's chair, pulling it back before helping her stand. Louise had insisted that the both of them wear dresses, wanting to make this the most memorable night of their lives._

_Harriet wore an off shoulder, knee length, maroon dress, her hair styled into a neat bun with her bangs covering her forehead. She matched it with off white heels and a silver clutch in her hand. She wore a silver bracelet that Louise had gifted her on her 25th birthday, always wearing it wherever she went, and her silver hoop earrings, making her look absolutely beautiful. The minute she walked into the room after getting ready, she'd taken Louise's breath away and she has never taken her eyes off of her since._

_Louise wore a black, net sleeved dress, wearing her hair half up and half down, curling it at the ends. She wore black heels with the dress, a bracelet matching Harriet's and a silver choker._

_They stood in front of the photographer, arms linked together. He told them a few poses, Louise and Harriet obediently following. After clicking a few photos, the photographer stood, his expression thoughtful._

_He pointed to Harriet, “You stand facing the railing, and you,” he pointed to Louise, “stand opposite her, facing me.”_

_Louise noticed Harriet give the photographer a weird expression, making her stifle a laugh before shrugging, watching as Harriet turned her back towards Louise, looking at the view of the city. The photographer then sneakily handed Louise a red, velvet box which was small enough to go unnoticed by Harriet, mouthing a 'good luck' to Louise and sending her a wink. Louise took a deep breath before turning around and kneeling down, admiring her view of Harriet before the photographer spoke, "We're done here. Thank you so much."_

_As Harriet turned around, a smile was playing on her lips before it fell when she saw Louise. Her hand slowly came up to cover her mouth in shock while Louise cleared her throat, smiling up at Harriet, hearing the photographer’s shutter going off as well as a few gasps from other tables. "This might as well be the most cliché thing I've ever done, no?"_

_Harriet let out a small giggle, easing Louise's anxiousness before she continued on, "Harriet. Ever since the day I saw you in the classroom, all those years ago, I knew I needed you in my life, even if it wasn't certain to me, it was certain to my soul. I love you, the person you've become and all that you've achieved. You're this amazing woman who continues to inspire me every single day of my life. I am so grateful to have you in my life, to have you be by my side, supporting my every motive and pointing out where I need correction. You're such a beautiful person, inside out. I not only fell in love with you, I fell in love with your soul, your character, your personality and I love each and every single inch of you. I can't imagine my life without you, Haz. I want you to be mine, forever and always. So, will you do the honours of marrying me?"_

_The second Louise was done, she was engulfed in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around her equally as tight, overwhelmed with emotion. Harriet pulled away and wiped the corner of her eyes, making sure the make up didn't smudge before nodded her head fervently. "Yes, yes, a million times yes."_

_Louise then started tearing up before picking out the ring from the box and sliding it through Harriet's finger. It fit perfectly. Harriet admired the ring for a minute before closing the distance between them. They kissed slow and steady, wanting to make the best of the situation and just transferring love and compassion to each other. When they parted to take a breath, Louise rested her forehead against Harriet's before whispering, "I think everyone's watching us. It might be in an article tomorrow.”_

_Harriet's giggle sounded her ears, "If it’s about something as beautiful as this, then I don’t mind. I love this very much, Lou."_

_Louise closed her eyes and held Harriet close._

_"And I love you, baby."_

_•••_

_"How'd you plan everything though?"_

_Louise looked over at Harriet who was leaning against the balcony railing of their hotel room, the wind slightly blowing her high ponytail as she admired the ring that rested on her left ring finger._

_"I asked Jesse and Athene about it."_

_Harriet raised her eyebrow. "You asked my sister and my mum on how to propose to me?"_

_"I went to them to ask for their permission, idiot. I came up with the rest myself," she smiled triumphantly._

_Harriet walked over to Louise and placed her legs on either side of her, getting comfortable on her lap. "Did you get the 'you better take care of my daughter' talk?"_

_"They were literally acting like I hadn’t been present in your life for two decades. I was terrified they were going to say no."_

_Harriet laughed, "What about the proposal itself?"_

_"The photographer, Jeremy, actually studied at the same school as us. Liam told me about what he did and I contacted him. I got to know the details and here we are."_

_“Wait, actually? When he appeared at our table, I thought he was a random pap who you were just allowing to take pictures of us.”_

_Louise offered Harriet an unimpressed look, “You know me better than to do that.”_

_Harriet’s gaze fell back on the ring,"Holy shit, I'm engaged."_

_Louise brought her hand to hold Harriet's face as she stared at her admiringly. "You're so beautiful, my love. You're glowing."_

_Harriet smiled tearily, overwhelmed with emotion, "I love you so much."_

_"Je t'aime tellement plus, mon amour." (I love you so much more, my love.)_

_"Fuck, you sound so hot."_

_She laughed and pulled Harriet in, kissing her softly, cradling her face gently as their lips moved slowly._

_"I can't believe I get to marry you."_

_Harriet smiled, “Don’t worry, you’ll get over it soon.”_

_Louise rolled her eyes, “Never getting over you ever.”_

_•••_

_After spending a few days in Paris, Louise took them to another location in France. She'd heard about it from Harriet only, an old town with a river flowing through it so she decided that they could visit it after the proposal._

_"We're going to another city?"_

_"Well, it's more of a town and it might be a bigger breath of fresh air than Paris was.”_

_"Town? Which one is it?"_

_"Annecy."_

_Harriet paused in between placing her essentials in the suitcase, looking at Louise incredulously. "What?"_

_Louise stood up from her squatting position in front of the bags, smiling at her shyly._

_"You said you liked to visit quiet places for relaxation and ease. You also mentioned wanting to visit Annecy for a while so I booked a trip. I didn't know if you wanted a proper tour or just random exploration so I didn't contact a tour guide, but I'm pretty sure they might be avail-"_

_Harriet practically flung herself at Louise, cutting her off mid ramble by kissing her lips. "What the fuck did I do to deserve an angel as my fiancé," she murmured._

_Louise chuckled, wrapping her arms around Harriet's naked waist and lifting her off the ground, swinging them both around while giggling like schoolgirls._

_"I've searched about the place, so I do have an idea of a couple places and cafes. It'll be nice."_

_Harriet smiled, caressing Louise's cheek, "You chose it. It'll be perfect."_

_•••_

_"So. Where to first?"_

_Louise and Harriet had arrived at the hotel early morning so that they could regain their energy by noon. They got dressed before walking out, both giddy with excitement._

_Louise looked over to Harriet where she walked on the sidewalk next to her, holding her hand and swinging it occasionally. She wore a simple, satin, black sleeveless top with a pair of high waisted, linen, caramel palazzo pants, which Louise had specifically designed and made for her. She herself wore a blue and white, horizontally striped off shoulder top with puff sleeves, matching it with a pair of high waisted mom jeans._

_She looked down at her phone before humming, "Firstly, we're going to roam the streets of Annecy, enjoy the soft, moist weather and then we're going to visit 'Château d'Annecy'."_

_Harriet peered at her, with her lips curved upwards in an amused smile, possibly trying not to laugh at Louise's failed try at the french pronunciation. "You know, just because we're in France and your name sounds french doesn't mean you have to pull a fake accent."_

_Louise gasped in mock offence, "Excuse you, my name's actually derived from the French name 'Louis', so it doesn't just sound French, it is french."_

_Harriet grasped her hand tighter, giggling, "So that's what your name would be if you were a boy, eh? Louis?."_

_"I wouldn't mind it. Though, I'd prefer Lou-ie over Lewis. The latter sounds like a name one of my ancestors would have."_

_"Louis Tomlinson. Fuck, that makes you sound like French Royalty. I bet your middle name would be something grand too, to go with the whole persona and all, like William."_

_Louise raised her eyebrow at her fiancé, watching her as she tested the name on her lips._

_"Louis William Tomlinson. Jesus, it reminds me of someone who holds a haughty image in the eyes of the public and that's fucking making me feel things."_

_She rolled her eyes, "Harriet. Even as a female, I hold a haughty image in the eyes of the public."_

_"I bet the dick would be just as big as the ego, don't you think? God, just imagine."_

_"Are you seriously fantasising about a male version of me right now?"_

_Harriet shrugged nonchalantly, "Louis William Tomlinson is like a breath of fresh air after fantasising about you for two decades. This poor mind needs a break."_

_Louise raised her eyebrow, "Oh yeah? Let's turn around and go back to the hotel. I'll show you how much of a break that poor mind needs."_

_She felt Harriet snake her arm around her waist and draw her closer, bringing their faces close so that she can plant a kiss to her cheek. Smilingly, she spoke, "Although, no one gets me as hot and bothered as you do. Louise  
Sofia Tomlinson's superior."_

_Louise smirked, nodding, "Damn right."_

_•••_

_"Should've brought a tour guide."_

_They were currently on a stranded street with no directions on how to get to the hotel, and the air was starting to get chilly as the sun went down. They had visited the castle museum and were on their return journey when they took a wrong turn and ended up forgetting the original route from which they came from._

_"You think?"_

_"Alright, no need for the sass.”_

_She heard Harriet sigh before she walked to her, hugging her from behind and resting her chin on her shoulder, mumbling, "I'm sorry."_

_"It's okay. Let's just quickly find someone or some place who can tell us where we are."_

_"Why don't you just search google maps for the hotel?"_

_Louise pursed her lips, "I forgot the name of the hotel. Hey look, there's a cafe over there. We'll ask someone there."_

_Harriet furrowed her eyebrows, “But how will we ask them if we don’t know the name of the- stop running! Ugh. Wait for me, Lou!”_

_Louise noticed Harriet gazing at the café eerily, so she held her hand and winked at her before walking through the door._

_“Jesus Christ.”_

_When they entered, they were instantly swarmed by a bunch of people shouting out several 'congratulations' and bursting party poppers, making Harriet jump and clutch Louise's hand tightly. Louise looked around smiling at the decorations of the place and all the smiling faces staring back at them with delight, making Louise look down and twist Harriet out of her hold so she could see who the people actually were._

_Both their mums and all their sisters had come to Annecy a few hours after Louise and Harriet arrived, informing Louise that they'd be waiting at a certain cafe down a secluded street. They came up with a plan of surprising Harriet yet again and just wanting to make it one of the happiest days of her life. When Harriet moved her head away from Louise’s chest, she gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands in shock._

_Harriet looked around in sheer happiness before engulfing both, Athene and Julia, into a tight hug. Madison and Jesse walked up to Louise with bright grins before pulling her into a hug as well. "Congratulations, Lou."_

_“You guys are glowing.”_

_Louise grinned tearily before pulling back, looking towards her youngest sisters who were clutching small bouquets of flowers with shy smiles. Louise crouched down in a squat position and pulled them into a hug as well._

_“What have we got here?”_

_The girls looked down at their hands before Lana offered her bouquet to Louise, “This one’s for you! Momma said you and Harriet are going to get married soon! Are you really, Lou Lou?”_

_Harriet came to crouch beside Louise and grinned, “Yes we are! You two look beautiful tonight, by the way,” leaning forward and kissing their cheeks. They both extended their arms around her neck and pressed close, snuggling into her, making Harriet giggle._

_“Thank You, Ettie. Look, we got you flowers!”_

_Harriet gasped and put a hand to her mouth, accepting the flowers and pulling them into another embrace, squeezing them with all her love._

_“You darlings are the cutest! I absolutely love them.”_

_“Can’t brea-”_

_The rest of Millie’s sentence got muffled into her shoulder as Harriet swayed them side to side, not letting go. Louise looked over to Madison to find her laughing with Jesse as they watched the scene. Then, she looked towards their mothers and stood up, walking towards them and tackling them into a warm hug, feeling their hands caress her back comfortingly. Ever since she’d proposed to Harriet, she had been on a verge of having a (happy) emotional breakdown and being being comforted by her mother and mother in law, she was finally brought to edge, making her sniffle and blink quickly to stop the tears from pouring, but it didn’t work._

_When she pulled back, she quickly wiped her cheeks and smiled, looking to where Jesse and Harriet was admiring the ring while Madison was with her five year old, twin sisters._

_“Did you two have a nice time in Paris?”_

_She turned back towards them and nodded, “It was really good. Harriet’s never looked happier.”_

_Julia put a hand on her shoulder, eyebrow raised, “What about you?”_

_She laughed, “I’m absolutely buzzing, mum.”_

_•••_

_Harriet walked out of the hotel bathroom wearing a sheer, black, long sleeved, button up blouse which came up to her thighs, with roses printed on it, a gift from Louise, something she’d wanted to make for Harry for a long time. She wore her black lace bra underneath and similar panties to go with the blouse, making Louise’s mouth water._

_She walked to where Louise was sitting on the sofa in the balcony, slow and seductive, before sitting herself on her lap. Louise’s left hand came to rest on Harriet’s hip, watching her intently._

_When she moved her face closer to the girl on her lap, Harriet brought her finger to her lips and shook her head, smirking, “Not now.”_

_She stared at her for a moment before sighing and nodding, resting her back on the sofa and opening her thighs a bit, giving Harriet more space to manoeuvre and do whatever she wanted. Harriet took the joint from the side table as well as the lighter, lighting it up and placing it on her lips, inhaling the smoke and releasing it into the air. She then brought it to Louise’s lips and watched as Louise breathed it in and then making her an O shape with her lips and letting out a smoke ring._

_This time when Harriet took in the smoke, she held Louise’s chin and joined their lips together, passing it on to Louise who welcomed it in. As the smoke passed, Louise used it as an opportunity to enter her tongue in, licking the inside of her mouth and biting her lip, making Harriet whimper. They went back and forth like that till there was barely anything left to smoke from. After that, Louise pulled Harriet in to a long make out session, mixing their tongues together and biting each other’s lips. When they pulled away, Harriet motioned for Louise to pause._

_“Don’t move.”_

_Harriet started with placing her hand on Louise’s shoulder, traveling down to her chest, then her stomach, her thighs and then putting them on her own thighs. She brought them up to her stomach and then her chest, teasingly grazing her fingers over her nipples as she held eye contact with Louise, making her murmur a soft ‘‘tease’’._

_She unbuttoned the first button of the blouse, then the second, taking her time and finding pleasure in the way Louise squirmed a little at the slow pace. She glanced up at the sky to find it a purplish pink colour, the sun almost disappearing behind the small houses of Annecy. It was their last day there, their families having left yesterday to let the couple spend their next day alone._

_Louise traced her fingers over the bare skin of her shoulder and neck, feeling the goosebumps arise on it as Harriet unbuttoned the last button. She felt the cloth of the blouse, humming before helping her take it off, throwing it towards the arm chair that sat in the corner._

_Her eyes took in the beauty sitting on her thighs and moved closer, attaching her lips to the corner of Harriet’s jaw where it met her neck. She sucked at it a bit till she knew it would form a hickey, pulling out a low moan from Harriet._

_Her mouth travelled lower, down to her cleavage, placing short kisses and purple marks there. Her fingers traced the two birds above her chest, smiling at the meaning behind them, remembering the day Harriet told her she’d gotten a tattoo of two birds that represented Louise and Harriet. Her fingers then moved to her back and unclasped the bra, mouth immediately enclosing one nipple while the right hand tweaked the other, making Harriet jump from the feeling, moaning in pleasure._

_Her hand cupped her breast and massaged it, relishing in the sweet sounds Harriet made from the sensation before bringing both her hands underneath Harriet’s smooth thighs and picking her up. Harriet’s arms went around her neck, her hand making its way into her hair and pulling it as she sucked a bruise under her chin._

_Louise threw her on the bed and watched as Harriet bounced on it before settling, scooting up so she was close to the headboard. Louise crawled on top of her and dipped down, kissing her swollen lips and prying her mouth open, licking inside. She then made her way down, moving to her chest then stomach, kissing the butterfly tattoo and sucking a hickey next to it. While Louise was busy, Harriet searched the bedside table for a hair tie, grabbing it once found and then gathering Louise’s soft brown hair, tying it into a ponytail._

_She looked up and grinned, her expression of mischief making Harriet whimper. Instead of continuing on with her ministrations, Louise lifted herself up and away from Harriet, walking towards the bags to get something. When she came back, one hand of hers was closed in a fist so Harriet couldn’t see what it was. She grabbed the comforter and threw it over Harriet’s naked form, making her furrow her eyebrows._

_“What are you doing?”_

_“You’ll see, baby.”_

_She stood in front of the bed and then crawled into the covers, so that the only thing Harriet could see was the big lump underneath the covers, but as expected, she didn’t peer inside, letting Louise do what she wanted._

_Louise bent her knees and opened her legs wider, exposing her clothed cunt for her to ravish. She mouthed at it through the panties and grinned at the way Harriet let out a moan and widened her legs even more from the pleasure, giving all of herself to Louise. She could see the cloth dampen as Harriet got wetter. Not wanting to waste any more time, she held the waistband of the knickers and slowly took it off. She watched as Harriet’s pussy glistened and twitched when uncovered and exposed to the open air._

_She brought the small item, an inch long and half an inch wide cylinder with a long gold chain connected to it, to Harriet’s hole, pushing it in slightly and admiring the way it got sucked in by itself as Harriet clenched and unclenched it. When it disappeared inside, the only trace of it being the chain coming out of it, Louis moved back to truly see how good Harriet looked and she bet that Harriet was going to want it in more often once she saw what it did._

_She the picked up the small remote that came with the cylinder and chain, pressing the button on it. She got a reaction instantly, Harriet’s hole squeezing tight around the object as she arched her back at the feeling of the strong vibrations buried inside of her. Louise grabber Harriet’s ankles to hold her still and dove right in, not giving Harriet a chance to settle as she licked her folds and listened to Harriet’s mewls at being eaten out. She dipped her tongue in and felt the walls vibrate as the vibrator did it’s work._

_Harriet whimpered, “Lou, I’m close.”_

_She fucked her with her tongue for a few minutes till Harriet placed her hand on top of Louise’s head as a sign that she was going to cum._

_Louise continued on with her ministrations, rubbing her tongue over the clit again and again till she felt the hole spasm, Harriet crying out as Louise licked her through her orgasm, not stopping even when she knew it would be sensitive, though she clicked the button and stopped the vibrations._

_When she finally did pull off, she took off the covers and breathed in some air. There were a few droplets of sweat on her forehead which she quickly wiped off, eyes trained on the way Harriet’s chest heaved up and down, her pearl necklace lying delicately over the curve of her breasts. She then flicked her eyes to Harriet’s and held the gaze till she spoke, “Touch yourself, baby. Get yourself ready for me.”_

_She turned around again and fetched for the dildo, looking back to find three of Harriet’s fingers deep inside of her, moving in and out at a normal pace, the spread of her fingers making her tight hole stretch._

_“Tu es absolument coupable, mon amour.” (You look absolutely sinful, my love.)_

_She watched as Harriet’s cunt glistened more, getting wetter by the minute. “Since when did you know french words and sen- fuck- sentences?”_

_Louise smirked, walking back to Harriet, eyes still trained on her fingers moving inside out her pretty hole, shrugging, “Learnt it all through middle and high school. It was kind of a side thing.”_

_Harriet raised her eyebrow, hand motions not stopping for a second, “How come I didn’t know?”_

_Louise sat next to where Harriet lay, holding the purple glittery dildo in her hand, “Don’t know, I guess it just never came up.” Louise hand came on top of Harriet’s and held them as a way of telling her to stop. She then turned in a way which had her in a plank position above harry._

_She manoeuvred herself so that she was on all fours, Harriet getting the memo and moving up so that her shoulders rested on the headboard, eye level with Louise’s wet cunt._

_“Don’t you want me to fill you up as well?”_

_Louise shook her head, “I’m sure your mouth would do it for me.”_

_Harriet’s face looked nothing but determined, moving her face forward and licking a fat strip from her clit to her hole, making Louise cry out from the pleasure._

_As Harriet ate her out, Louise worked on her, feeling the swollen bundle of nerves and pinching them in between her fingers, making Harriet moan which then sent vibrations through her._

_She held the lips open with her index and middle finger as she rubbed the dildo over her clit a few times before pushing it all the way in. She let it sit for a minute before pulling it out, and then thrusting it right back in, continuing it like that without an ounce of mercy. She went like that till Harriet’s legs started to shake, so she added two fingers beside the dildo, knowing Harriet loved the feeling it gave. The pressure inside her own self was building up so she pushed Harriet off, “Don’t want to come right now.”_

_She fucked Harriet till she shouted out a string of curses and came, slowing the thrusts still her breathing calmed down and then taking it out._

_“Sit on the floor at the edge of the bed.”_

_Harriet’s eyes widened with excitement as she fumbled to do as she was told, resting her chin on the bedsheet and waiting for Louise to do what she wanted._

_Louise closed her eyes as her fingers came in contact with her pussy, rubbing her clit and spreading the wetness before inserting them inside herself. She fucked herself with two fingers, then three till she felt the pressure inside her burst, making her tears form at the corner of her eyes as she squirted all over Harriet._

_She continued rubbing her clit with her thumb as she rode out her high, draining her as every last drop fell out of her. She breathed harshly at the intense orgasm and then opened her eyes to look at Harriet._

_Her face was fully wet, the first thing Louise noticed. She had a dopey smile on her face, clearly loving it every time Louise squirted on her as if a child won a stuffed toy at the carnival. She brought her hand to Harriet’s chin and pulled her in, kissing her soft and sweet._

_Louise murmured with a sly smile, “Get cleaned up. We’re ordering room service for dinner and then we’re going to do some body shots....and a couple more rounds,” ending it with a wink._

_•••_

_“Lou, look.”_

_Harriet entered the kitchen with a few papers in hand, bringing them to where Louise sat on the counter stool with a cup of tea. Louise raised her eyebrow and widened her legs for Harriet to sit on her lap, and wrapped her arms around her, placing her chin on her shoulder and peeking at the papers._

_“What’s this?”_

_“Articles. They wrote about the proposal!”_

_“What did they say?”_

_“It reads **‘On the 28th of September, Burberry’s Fashion Designer and Hollywood Actress Louise Tomlinson was out seeming extra close and cuddly with Songwriter and Photographer Harriet Styles, walking on the streets of Paris. An inside report claimed that Tomlinson proposed to Styles that night at a rooftop hotel which can be seen in the following picture-’** damn, poor people’s eyes. That photo is blurry as fuck, but you can see you and I hugging so that’s cute.” _

_Louise chuckled, kissing Harriet’s neck. Her hands found the skin underneath the mint green, feathery soft sweater she was wearing, pressing her fingers into the warmth and bringing out a squeak from Harriet. She trailed her fingers to the waistband of her shorts before getting stopped. Harriet stood up and walked to the cupboards before taking out a cup and a tea bag. Louise made a noise in her throat which sounded more or less like a petulant whine._

_“I just started my period today and I am in no mood to indulge in any sexual activities till it’s over. Why do I have to repeat this every time, Lou?”_

_She huffed, pouting, “Not even some more celebratory sex?”_

_Harriet shook her head, wrinkling her nose as she filled the kettle with water and set it to heat, “Nope, at least not during periods. That’s just gross and messy.”_

_Louise frowned, thinking over it before furrowing her eyebrows, wrinkling her nose in disgust, “Yeah, you’re right.”_

_She looked over to the stack of papers on the table._

_“Do you want to officially public it?”_

_“What? That period sex is gross?”_

_“No, the engagement.”_

_Harriet looked behind her at Louise, shaking her head, “Not really. I want as much privacy as we can get. Don’t you?”_

_“Of course.”_

_➳♡_

_2025  
Ages: 27/28_

_“Mum, Lea, Louise and I were thinking of adopting.”_

_“Harriet and I thought over it a lot and realised that it’s time to take a next step. I know we haven’t yet signed marriage papers yet, but that can be done after getting a child. Them being part of our wedding day just sounds absolutely miraculous.”_

_Louise was nervous for the reactions, watching as the table quieted down, all the attention focused on her and Harriet. Their eyes met before Louise nodded, encouraging her to go on._

_“We’re both in our late twenties now, Louise is turning 28 this year and I’m 27. We’ve known each other for 22 years of our lives so we got the idea of what the other’s like and we know that we’re going to stay together if the engagement’s anything to go by. I’ve wanted to start a family for a while now so we thought instead of having a sperm donor, we could just adopt? Allow a child a privilege of having a proper family which their real parents couldn’t give. We wanted to ask you guys for-”_

_Harriet was cut off by Athene wrapping her arms around her, holding her close. Louise noticed the confused expression on her face as her hand came to rest on her arm, rubbing smooth circles while she looked towards Louise, who was also tackled into a hug from her own mother._

_She furrowed her eyebrows and looked towards where Madison and Jesse had soft expressions on their face, not understanding what was happening. Louise poked her mother’s shoulder, “Mum?”_

_“It’s just that you guys are planning on having a family and we’re going to get to be grandmothers and we’re just emotional right now.”_

_Harriet laughed, standing up and hugging her mother properly, face buried into her neck. “You guys are going to be guiding us through it the whole time since neither of us know shit about dealing with children.”_

Louise stood up as well, placing herself between Harriet and Athene, putting her arms around both of their shoulders.

_“Speak for yourself, I actually had to deal with three younger sisters growing up so I know enough on how to handle a girl.”_

_“Have you visited a centre?”_

_Louise shook her head, “We’re going to the adoption centre near ‘Toys R Us’ and we’ll see if we attract any children.”_

_“Do you have an age in mind?”_

_“Nope, we haven’t set a proper age. If there’s mutual agreement between us and the child then we’ll sign the adoption papers.”_

_Athene smiled, brushing Louise’s hair with her fingers and tucking them behind her ear, “We support whatever decision you two make regarding the matter and just want you to know that we’re with you every step of the way.”_

_Louise smiled, “Thank You, mum.”_

_Jesse spoke up, “Mads and I too.”_

_Madison nodded, standing up walking up to them, “Yeah. We can babysit or something and help you guys with whatever you need. Give you two a helping hand.”_

_Harriet grinned, “That would be wonderful.”_

_Athene put a hand on Louise’s shoulder, “Just want to make sure the both of you are a hundred percent in this. Taking care of a human being requires infinite amounts of patience and your focus. All their needs are solely dependent on you, so you have to make sure that you don’t make this choice in a haste of moving forward. Having a child is a big thing and it needs the both of you to make sure the child has a proper family. Whatever decision you make will not only affect you two but also the child.”_

_Harriet nodded, smiling when Louise rested her head on her shoulder, “Don’t worry, mum. We’ll take care of our child.”_

_They all formed a group hug and stayed like that for a while, mumbling ‘I love you’s’ to each other and swaying side to side._

_•••_

_“I feel guilty, Lou.”_

_Louise caressed Harriet’s back as they signed the adoption papers, agreeing on adopting a 6 month old baby girl named Genevieve._

_“Why?”_

_“There are so many kids here of all ages who don’t have proper families. They’re all here just waiting for people to come and take them and I feel guilty about not being able to provide it to them.”_

_“Love, you can’t possibly adopt forty plus kids and manage to take care of each and every single one of them without going insane. It’s true that it sucks that their parents conceived them only to leave them over here and it frustrates me as to why they would bring them into this world in the first place when they can’t handle the responsibility. Although, there are parents out there who can’t reproduce so they solely depend on this in order to be able to start a family. If you want to help them, we can offer our service to them by sending them any kinds of essentials they need as well as send money so that they can make the lives of these children a tad bit more comfortable. How does that sound?”_

_Harriet nodded, “I would love to be able to help them.”_

_“We’ll ask the receptionist to see if it can happen. Until then, let’s take our baby girl home. I’m going to make her so many cute outfits, and we’re going ti have so many photoshoots. We’re the most perfect set of parents, Hazza. I promise to provide you and our baby girl with the best. Give you guys the world. I promise you.”_

_Harriet kissed her cheek, “I love you, Lou.”_


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hiya, i updated :)

♡➳

_“Louise?”_

_“Yeah, it’s me.”_

_The wind continued blowing against the trees in the darkness and Harriet watched Louise make her way to the bathroom and close the door. She lay her head back against the pillow and turned towards the window once again, gazing at the sky and the moon, her mind clam in the soundless atmosphere._

_She felt the bed dip, the blanket rising as Louise covered herself with it and tucked herself in, her tired eyes looking at Harriet, who observed Louise’s motions. She smiled._

_“I missed you.”_

_“I missed you more, mon amour.”_

_“I can’t believe I get to spend my whole life with you by my side, Lou. It feels so unrealistic.”_

_Louise’s eyes softened as she turned to lay on her stomach, one elbow on the bed as she rested her chin on her hand while the other snaked towards Harriet’s hand on her stomach, holding on to it._

_“Marrying you is the best decision I’ve made, ever. I promise to love you,” her eyes casted over Harriet’s small bump, putting her hand over it whilst still holding Harriet’s, caressing it softly, “And our baby with every piece of me.”_

_Harriet looked down at her belly and smiled shyly, thoughts running over the endless possibilities of the future with their baby. She sighed, content with her fiancée’s show of affection, and looked at the window, finding it to be raining outside. She gasped._

_“Lou, it’s raining!”_

_She quickly sat up, causing Louise to chuckle at her excitement and get up as well. She walked over to her closet and pulled out her cardigan, putting it on with Louise’s help before exiting the room and running towards the stairs._

_“Easy there, tiger. Wouldn’t want yourself or the baby to get hurt, would you?”_

_Harriet stopped, turning her head to face Louise, her hand immediately finding her belly in protectiveness, as she shook her head, frowning, “No, sorry.”_

_Louise walked over and wrapped her arms around her, guiding her down the stairs slowly and carefully and then to the shoe rack. Harriet watched as Louise crouched down and picked out Harriet’s slippers, lifting her feet one by one and putting them on before standing back up again. She kissed her temple._

_“Thank you.”_

_“You’re welcome, baby. Now let’s go enjoy some rain.”_

_Harriet waited a minute as Louise grabbed her own footwear before proceeding towards the door, the pitter patter of the rain sounding her ears. She pulled Louise’s hand and jogged towards the road, knowing that no cars pass by in their gated community with no neighbors around for a few miles._

_Harriet giggled as the rain splattered onto her, spinning around with her head facing the sky, eyes closed and lips wide._

_When she paused to catch her breath, she noticed Louise standing idle with an expression of fondness casting over her face as she stared at Harriet. She walked over to her, her feet splashing against the rainwater on the road before she reached out for Harriet hand and pulled her in. Harriet studied Louise’s eyes and she wrapped her arms around her neck, Louise’s hands holding her waist as they brought their foreheads together. They swayed slightly, barely any motion as they succeeded to get lost into each other, everything around them becoming completely non existent for the only thing that mattered to them at the time was them._

_“I wrote a song.”_

_“Sing it to me.”_

_“You’re not going to know the song lyrics. I’ll tell you what it’s about though.”_

_Louise smiled, biting her lip, voice no higher than a whisper, “Alright. Tell me about it.”_

_The rain was falling down on them, not enough to completely drench them in one go, but to wetten their nightgowns as they held each other close, no amount of water equalling to the love they had for each other, the type of love they hadn’t known was deep enough to drown them as well._

_“It’s about two people...well, basically the perspective of the first person talking to the second. That person who’s talking, they’re out in the open, as in they’re completely vulnerable, ready to give their other person everything they have. The lyrics express their show of weakness, leaving everything up to their person to decide whether to throw their heart away or to hold it close and never let go. So...yeah. I started writing it a week ago, and kept it to me for a day or two to analyze over it. I have a couple titles going through my head right now, but I haven’t decided yet. It’s probably one of my favorites that I have written so far, so I want to get it to Niall as soon as I can to hear his thoughts on it.”_

_When Harriet finished, she looked up from Louise’s neck and shoulders and watched her expression carefully, analyzing her deep intake of breaths as her mouth fell open, tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she brought her around Harriet’s neck and engulfed her into a hug, holding her close as she pressed her cheek to the top of her head. Harriet laughed tearily as she tightly held Louise’s waist, listening to her heart beat at a faster rate than before. She closed her eyes and preened at the warmth surrounding her, despite the cold wind and rain._

_All too soon, she felt Louise slowly pull away, making her detach her body as well and raise her head, only to find herself alone in the street, Louise nowhere in sight. Harriet furrowed her eyebrows, closing her eyes again to see if it was just a figment of her imagination yet when she opened them, all she saw was the barren street upon which raindrops continued to fall._

_“Lou?”_

_She looked around, squinting in the darkness to see if she saw Louise’s figure hiding somewhere, but there was no one and nothing there. Harriet walked forward, calling out Louise’s name as she looked everywhere for her, wrapping her arms around herself as a chilling breeze passed by, feeling cold all of a sudden._

_“Lou, this isn’t funny. Where did you go?”_

_She sensed someone move behind her, making her turn her body around. Harriet moved towards the bushes to see if Louise was hiding behind there, searching through them._

_“Louise?”_

_Out of the blue, she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her stomach, making her cry out and clutch it tightly. “Fuck.” She moved away from the bushes and started walking faster towards the end of the street, hoping to find someone who’ll help her look for Louise. Another wave hit her, heavier and sharper this time, making her fall to the ground as she wailed. Tears streamed down her face along with the droplets of rain as she looked down to her bump, finding a big spot of blood on her pants instead. Her eyes widened as she screamed, the horror on her face clear as day as she continued to stare at the blood, the haunting image now permanently saved in her memory._

_“No. No. No. This can’t be happening.” Her fingers shook as she caressed her bump, her vision blurry through the tears as she shook her head, crying at the thought of losing her child. Her voice cracked as she shouted for someone to help, for someone to go find her fiancée and restore the state of calmness she was in before._

_Taking in deep breaths, she placed her arms on the ground and lifted herself up, standing on wobbly legs as her stomach continued to hurt, making her wince. She clenched her eyes shut as she took the first step, knowing she could fall any second if she wasn’t careful. She looked around to see how many blocks away their home was from where she stood, limping as she took a few more small steps ahead._

_“Louise!” She shouted out her name, hope slowly dying inside of her since everything around her was drowned in quiet, eerie darkness._

_As the pain got more and more unbearable, her eyes started to droop, making her feel weak and helpless as her legs tried to carry her to her. She felt no energy in her to keep her going as the pain in her lower abdomen overwhelmingly engulfed her completely. Her eyes fell shut as her body gave up, making her fall forwards onto the ground, hitting her forehead against it. She felt tired and drained, laying under the dark sky with nothing but the droplets of rain for company._

_“Lou.”_

_She couldn’t move, not being able to even lift her finger as she lay limp on the ground, eyes shut, falling into a hole of darkness and silence all alone with no one around._

•••

2030

The sound of glass clinking sounded through the room, quieting the soft murmurs of the crowd of people and the music being played by the DJ. Harriet looked up from where she sat at a table, her eyes finding a tall figure standing on the bar slab, holding a wine glass and a teaspoon in his hands, looking around to make sure everyone’s attention was being payed solely to him. When he saw that everyone’s eyes were on him, he bent down to put the glass and spoon aside and held a mic to his lips, standing straight again.

“Hello everyone. Hope you all are having a good time. My name’s Liam Payne for those of you who aren’t aware. Tonight’s a special celebratory night for Burberry for winning an award on ‘Most Fashionable Spring/Summer Collection’ which is a very big achievement in the fashion industry. The whole staff worked so hard on this and it’s truly well deserved. I’m going to hand over the main woman here, the senior fashion designer of Burberry. Please put your hands together for the one and only, Miss Louise Sofia Tomlinson. Here now you talk.”

Liam offered his hand to someone in the crowd before pulling them up, a familiar figure coming in sight. He gave the mic to her and patted her back good naturedly, and moved sideways to give her space. 

“Hello everyone. Hoping you’re all enjoying yourselves and have at least had a drink or two. This night’s been absolutely incredible and I am so happy for everything and for all of the incredible support shown.” 

Louise took in a deep breath, the sound carrying through the mic as she looked up at the ceiling before looking back down to the crowd. 

“Eight years ago, a legend took me under his wing and taught me everything that I know now. Sir Michael Thorne, the head fashion designer of Burberry, who I had gotten the chance to get to know and become his apprentice. He had such a beautiful aroma surrounding him, kind soul and heart, so patient with everything. A few months back, an earthquake occured which led to a few buildings collapsing to the ground, taking the innocent lives of so many, including Thorne. It was so heartbreaking and painful, hearing the news that day, shattered at the thought of not having my teacher, guardian, and the supportive figure in my life anymore.”

There was a pause.

“The award that we won tonight, every piece of clothing and every hard work put into this, we as the whole crew, dedicate it all to him.

Sir Thorne, if you can hear me, I hope you know that I’ll make sure to carry on your legacy. This is all for you, and for the hard work you put to create such a brand. You were like a father to me and I’m so grateful for the time I got to work with you. I promise to make you proud and never regret me as your student. Thank you.”

As the crowd erupted into applause, Liam turned and pulled her into an embrace, gently rubbing her back before letting go. Louise stepped down from the slab and walked over to the secluded side of the club, all the while hugging, and thanking the people who approached her and congratulated her. 

Harriet waved at Louise so she knew where she was sitting, receiving a kiss to her cheek when she sat down beside her. 

“How was the speech?”

Harriet grinned, “Absolutely wonderful. I’m so proud of you, Lou.”

“I couldn’t have done any of it without my biggest supporter by my side.”

Harriet leaned forward to press her lips against Louise’s, keeping it short and sweet before pulling apart. Right then, a blonde, petite woman sat herself down on the chair next to Louise, making the latter’s eyes widen from surprise and her lips curve into a grin from excitement and giddiness. Louise pulled her into a loving embrace, whispering something in her ear and kissing her cheek after. 

Harriet watched as the two indulged into a quiet conversation after pulling apart, smiling and laughing, making her look around the room to scrape off the awkward feeling inside of her. The woman might’ve noticed Harriet sitting next to Louise, who was trying to look anywhere but the two people, making her question, “Oh, and who’s this?”

“Oops, I almost forgot about you for a second. Lea, this is Harriet, and Harriet, this is Leanna, my assistant.”

Harriet’s gaze found Leanna’s as she offered her hand, her smiling as she reciprocated, “Nice to meet you, Leanna.”

“Ditto. You must be Lou’s sister, right?”

Harriet raised her eyebrows, caught off guard by the question as she glanced at Louise only to find her smiling in amusement. Louise chuckled, “Lea, Harriet’s actually my Fiancée.” 

Leanna looked at Louise before glancing back at Harriet, her lips in the form of an ‘O’.

“Oh. Sorry. It’s just… I thought the engagement had been broken because you know, which couple goes so many years without marriage, right?” She laughed at her own statement, patting Louise’s knee whose smile was growing by the second. “Besides, it had been a while since Lou last spoke about his fiancée so I just assumed.” She smiled sheepishly as Harriet, then turned towards Louise, “Anyways, Lou, would you come to the bar with me to get a few drinks, please?” She fluttered her eyelashes innocently, lips molded into a pout. Harriet's gaze moved toward her fiancée to find her absolutely relaxed, not seeming to be bothered at all by what her assistant just said a minute ago, unlike Harriet who felt mildly uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed. Leanna got up and stood behind Louise’s chair, bringing her hand to her shoulder to softly massage it. Louise looked at Harriet with an apologetic smile before getting up and joining Leanna, wrapping her arm around her waist as they walked together to the bar. 

Harriet watched them, her eyebrows raised in surprise as she saw how comfortable they were, turning her head back around once she lost them in the crowd.

_They’re just comfortable with each other. Most bosses and assistants have a bond like that after knowing each other for that long, right?_

She stared at her empty glass for a minute before placing it on the table, pulling out her phone and dialing a phone number. She waited as it rang two times before it got answered.

**“Hey.”**

“Hey Nialler, how are you guys doing? Everything okay over there?”

**“Yes Haz, we’re doing really well. She ate an hour ago and we were watching ‘** **_Frozen 2’_ ** **before she fell asleep, which is what she is doing right now. How’s it looking over there? Are you having fun?”**

“Uhm, yeah. It’s alright. Though I’m glad she isn’t annoying you tonight. I would’ve taken her with me, but I—”

**“It’s fine, Haz, really. She’s such a sweet angel, I love hanging out with her. Oh and also. Do I need to stay here overnight? I can get my stuff from my place, then, once Genny wakes up. She’ll get a small night out as well.”**

Harriet put a hand to her forehead while she thought over it, first looking at the time on her phone, reading 2:48 am, after which she peeped behind her to find Louise engrossed in the conversation with her assistant, throwing her head back and laughing at whatever she had heard. It was starting to get late if not already late, and Harriet didn’t want Niall compromising on babysitting Genevieve any more than he already had since he had to deal with his own career the next day. She turned back around, “I think we’ll be home in fifteen minutes or so. I’ll talk to Louise to see what her plans are, and then let you know about it.”

**“Wait, Louise isn’t with you?”**

“No, she’s hanging out with Leanna at the bar. She’s right across the room right now, so I’ll just go up there to tell her in a bit.”

**“Who’s Leanna?”**

“Her assistant.”

**“She’s hanging out with her assistant and leaving her fiancée alone on one of her weekly party nights?”**

Harriet snorted, “No need for the dramatics, Ni. I’ll just go and speak to her now.”

**“Alright. I’ll be waiting.”**

After saying their goodbyes and ending the call, she placed her phone back and looked around the place one last time. It wasn’t as crowded as it had been when she first got here with Louise. There were a few people dancing while most were at the tables, chatting up with their friends just like on the table Harriet sat at. Two guys and a girl seeming to have a fun conversation if the big smiles on their faces were anything to go by. Harriet then stood up, holding her clutch in her right hand as she walked her way to the bar, slowing down before she reached the pair. The music was a tad bit louder away near the bar so it was difficult to make out what they were laughing about. She tapped Louise’s shoulder.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?”

Louise looked towards her, her hair a bit messy from the amounts of times Harriet’s watched her run a hand through it. There was a bit of lipstick smeared at the corner of her lips, which before she could reach out and remove, Leanna brought her hand forward and swiped it away, taking her hand back and smiling at the pair. Harriet politely smiled back which may or may not have looked like a grimace, then took Louise’s hand and pulled her away to the corner where it was a bit quieter. 

“So, what’s up?”

Harriet crossed her arms in front of her, “What time are you planning on leaving? Niall’s at home with Genevieve and it’s getting really late.”

Louise furrowed her eyebrows, an expression of confusion on her face as she pulled out her phone, “It’s only 3 am. Niall can handle Genevieve for a few more hours can’t he? It’s not that big of a deal if we stay here and have fun.”

Harriet stared at her, “Louise, he’s babysat Genevieve so many times, are you really going to make him stay overnight, worrying over our five year old daughter instead of resting peacefully in his own home, while we’re out here in some bar, drinking?

“Our bed is comfortable. Nialler can sleep in our bedroom, I’m sure he won’t mind.” 

Her words were slurred as they tumbled out of her mouth, her hands wobbly as she held her drink in her right hand. 

“You’ve had enough to drink for tonight and I’ve been up since 7 am because of Gen, so let’s just go home, Lou. I’m tire—”

“Oh! There you are. Lou, they’ve set up a table of beer pong, let’s go play!”

Frustrated, Harriet watched as Louise turned to Leanna and smiled brightly, waving at Harriet as she walked towards wherever the beer pong table was. 

She sighed, mumbling to herself, “Dear Lord, when did I sign up for this game of tag?” She searched for the door before exiting the club, breathing in some cold, fresh air away from the sweaty people inside. Since it was the starting of October, the weather had started to cool down and the air was starting to get chillier. There was no source of light besides the streetlamps, giving her surroundings an orange-ish glow, as she stood on the pavement, with her phone to her ear. The road was practically empty, except for the ones that were for the people in the club. 

**“Hello?”**

“Mr. Pete, could you please come pick me up from _Cavern,_ where you dropped Louise and I?”

**“Be right there.”**

•••

“Honey, I’m home.”

Harriet walked into the lounge to find Niall, ass up on the floor, looking for something.. The sudden voice seemed to scare him, making his head hit the sofa which was hidden underneath it. Harriet stifled a laugh, but let a smile through, walking towards the key holder in the kitchen to hang her house keys. Niall took his head out of the sofa, “Hey H,” his eyes travelled behind her towards the door before setting them on her again, “No Louise?”

Harriet unbuttoned her coat, eyes focused on the buttons, “Nope. Where’s Genevieve?” 

“Upstairs?” 

The reply, sounding more like a question, was delayed a few seconds, making Harriet pause in between shrugging off her coat and arch her eyebrow at her best friend. Niall stood there with his hands in front of him, with an innocent smile on his face, his brunette strand of hair falling onto his eyes. Then, she walked up to the sofa and bent down, looking underneath it to find it completely empty. She heard Niall’s footsteps before she saw his head peep underneath the sofa as well. 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making sure you haven’t buried my daughter under the sofa.”

“Oh please. If I were to bury someone, I’d do it in the garden.”

Harriet let out an exasperated sigh, crossing her arms over her chest, “Niall.”

He flailed his arms, “I don’t know! Gen was asleep so I thought I’d come downstairs to call you and grab a drink, but when I went back, she wasn’t there.”

“Did you check all the rooms?”

“Yes, I did. She’d been sleeping for a while when I was in the room with her, so I don’t know how she just vanished as soon as I left.”

Harriet nodded, looking around the living room, “It’s alright. We’ll find her. You look downstairs and I’ll look up.”

Harriet made her way up the stairs, first checking in the two guest bedrooms before entering Genevieve’s room, checking the bathroom after looking in the closets.

“Gen, honey. Where are you, baby?”

She exited the room before going to her and Louise’s own bedroom. The room light was on, the door opened as she set foot in the room, finding the bed rumpled with the blankets all bunched up and thrown aside, the bathroom door open as well, probably from Niall searching for Genevieve before Harriet got there. As she made a move to trudge to the bathroom, she heard small sniffing noises come from underneath the bed, causing her feet to come to a halt.

“Darling?”

Harriet immediately rushed towards it, and crouched low, spotting her daughter whimpering with her eyes tightly shut, tears staining her cheeks.Harriet spoke softly, her heart aching at the sight of her daughter in the state of sadness, “Sweetheart? Do you want to come out of there and tell Momma what’s wrong?”

She watched as Genevieve slowly opened her eyes, more tears rolling down her face as she moved her hands from her temples, and motioned Harriet to pull her out from underneath the bed and hold her. She did as told, carefully pulling her by her stomach and cradling her in her lap as she slowly swayed slightly, trying her best to calm her down. 

“What happened, baby?”

“M— momma, head hurts. Head h— urts so bad,” Genevieve wailed, grasping onto her mother’s shirt, and holding it tightly. She was shaking violently as Harriet snuggled her closer, the two of them sitting alone on the bedroom floor. She stood up carefully, making sure Genevieve was comfortable before she walked towards the light switch and turned off the lights in the room, leaving the bathroom light on. Then she walked to the bed and gently laid down Genevieve amid the pillows, caressing her cheek slowly before pulling out her phone and ringing Niall. 

His head popped into the room a few seconds later, his expression immediately contorting into one of worry as he glanced towards Genevieve’s state, quickly striding towards the bed. “What’s wrong?” He whispered, his hand travelling to Genevieve’s forehead, then her neck to check her temperature. 

“She says her head hurts a lot. Ni, in the kitchen-”

“I’ll get a damp cloth.”

Harriet nodded as Niall patted her head and walked out of the room, leaving her and Genevieve alone in the room once again. Harriet inspected her while trying on not making any noise nor movement so that her headache didn’t hurt worse. Her soft cries made her eyes fill with tears, wanting to take all the pain away from the five year old. The window curtain was moved to the side, letting in the light from the streetlamps. There was no sound of any bustling outside, just the leaves swaying in the wind.

She heard the bedroom door close quietly, Niall arriving with a dry and a wet cloth in a tray, along with a bowl of ice water. Harriet got off the bed as Niall set the tray on the side table, moving to sit on Genevieve’s other side so that Niall could easily maneuver his way while trying to ease Genevieve’s pain. He sat next to her, bringing the dry cloth to her forehead to wipe away the beads of sweat forming there, and stopping his ministrations as soon as she flinched. Harriet pursed her lips at the action, bundling a bit of the bedsheet into her fist. 

“Petal,” he spoke softly, holding the dry cloth in his hand, “Do you want me to put a wet cloth on your forehead? Do you think that will make you feel better?”

Genevieve sniffled, her hands on her temples again as she opened her eyes to gaze at Niall, her voice barely an audible whisper, “I don’t know.” Teardrops fell down her cheeks again, making Harriet bend down to press a light kiss to her forehead. 

Niall placed the dry cloth back onto the tray, after which he picked up the wet cloth, slightly dipping it into the water, then folding it. He twisted it in order to get a bit of the water divided as he unfolded it, bringing it to Genevieve’s forehead. 

“Does that help, Gen?”

“A tiny bit, momma.”

“You stay here with Uncle Ni. I’ll get you something to drink.”

Harriet moved away from her and stood up, walking towards the window and shutting the curtains closed. She looked behind her to find Niall dipping the second cloth into the bowl and then squeezing it, bringing it to Genevieve’s neck and keeping it there. Genevieve’s chest was rising and falling at a rapid pace, her breaths quickened as the pain in her head continued to throb. Harriet exited the room and rushed down the stairs, rushing her movement as she entered the kitchen. She grabbed the kettle and poured a cup of water into it, leaving it to heat as she opened the cabinet and took out a box which contained peppermint tea bags, dropping one in a cup as she waited for the water to heat.

She looked up at the ceiling and sighed disdainfully, closing her eyes as her forehead creased with worry. 

“Oh Genevieve,” she whispered.

•••

Harriet switched on the waffle iron to preheat as she added the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then mixed them all together. She mixed the batter for a while after which she grabbed an empty ketchup squeeze bottle and filled it with the mixed batter. 

She heard footsteps on the stairs as she was squeezing the waffle batter onto the iron, closing it a few minutes before Niall entered the living room and sat on the bar stool, his smile wide and expression sleepy.

“Good morni— oof. It smells so good in here. What are you making?”

Harriet smiled as she washed her hands in the sink and turned around, drying them with a towel. 

“I’m making waffles. Bought the iron a while ago and hadn’t tried it out until today.” She glanced at the stairs, “Is Gen still asleep?”

Niall nodded, pulling out his phone. “Yeah, glad she didn’t wake up again after last night. I checked her temperature, and it’s normal. Have you checked in with Louise? Asked her where she is?” His eyes raised from whatever he was reading on the phone to make contact with Harriet’s, resting his chin on his hand. 

Her smile dimmed the slightest bit as she turned back around to check the waffles, their conversation swimming through her head.

_“Niall’s here.”_

**_“He stayed over?”_ **

_“Yeah, he did.” Her voice was low, so that she didn’t wake anyone up._

_Harriet had woken up a few minutes ago when she noticed Louise’s absence since last night. While Niall slept soundly next to Genevieve, she got up and reached out for her phone, calling Louise to check up on her. Now though, she contemplated on whether she made the right decision as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, holding the phone to her ear, some sort of heaviness weighing over her chest._

**_“The same Niall who you were talking about last night? I thought you said he had to rest in his own home because he had work the next day? You left my party because of him.”_ **

_“One out of all the others which I stayed till the end. Do you think that it’s okay to go to clubs every single week and leave someone else to watch over our daughter? We’re parents now, for fucks sakes, Louise. We have responsibilities,” Harriet hissed, annoyance bubbling inside of her, “Besides, it’s not like you noticed much of the difference. You didn’t even come home last night.”_

**_“I left the club late so I came to work directly.”_ **

_“Will you be able to work without sleep? Aren’t you tired and hungover?”_

**_“I’ll be fine. I had a painkiller so you don’t need to worry about me.”_ **

_“You could’ve taken a da—”_

**_“Listen, I have to go. I’ll talk to you when I get home.”_ **

_Harriet sighed, “Alright, Bye.” She clicked off her phone and leaned against the wall, trying to level her breathing. Her head started hurting so she shut her eyes closed and brought her palm to her forehead, staying in her place for a few minutes before standing up straight again, making her way into the kitchen to grab a painkiller and a glass of water._

**“** Haz? You okay?”

“Mhm. She said she came home for a bit while we were asleep to gather some of her stuff. She’s at work now.”

Harriet fetched three plates and placed them next to the iron, switching off the switch and lifting the top part from the bottom carefully. She slowly picked up the waffles and placed them on the plates just as a bit of shuffling sounded in the room. She turned around to see a sleepy Genevieve walking down the stairs, her teddy bear in hand. 

“Good morning, Genny.”

Niall walked over to her and picked her up, carrying her over to the table where her chair was. Though, when Niall tried seating her, she clutched onto him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hiding her face.

“No chair.” 

Niall nodded and sat himself on his own chair, holding her in his lap as Harriet brought the plates to table and placed them carefully. Genevieve looked up to her mum’s face and smiled, her eyes tired and sleepy as she reached out. Harriet held her hand as she came closer to her daughter and crouched down so that she was at eye level with her, smiling at her in return. 

“Hi baby. How are you feeling?”

Genevieve looked around, squinting at the exposure of light as she hid herself into Niall. “Too much light,” she murmured, making Harriet’s eyes fall onto the two open curtains, her lips forming a frown. Niall chuckled, his head tilting so he saw Genevieve’s face, booping her nose, “Too much light? Are you a vampire now? Are you going to sneakily suck in our blood when we aren’t looking?”

His attempt to lighten up the mood worked, Genevieve giggled before she opened her mouth and showed her teeth, nodding. Harriet took it as an opportunity to move away and lower the curtains, not wanting it to irritate Genevieve and cause her headache again. She turned on the light which was farthest away from Genevieve, but was enough to allow them to see. She walked back to the table to find Niall feeding Genevieve a few pieces of waffles, taking a few bites himself in between.

“Ni, don’t you have your recording session today?”

Niall glanced at her, his mouth full as he nodded, “Yea—”

“Uncle Ni, you shouldn’t speak with your mouth full.”

Harriet bit back a grin as Niall paused, looking down at where Genevieve sat comfortably before placing his fork and knife on the plate, sneaking his hands to her sides and tickling her, immediate laughter erupting in the room.

“Okay, miss vampire. I won’t disappoint you again.”

Genevieve clutched her stomach, out of breath from the tickling session as she peeked into Niall’s mouth, “I can see some of the waffle still.”

Harriet didn’t bother hiding her laugh as she watched Niall give her an amused expression, his eyebrows raised in a way to appear serious, despite the smile threatening to make way.

“Oh yeah?” He looks at Harriet, “A cheeky one you got here, Styles.”

Harriet grinned as she made her way to her daughter and picked her up, holding her close and kissing her cheek, “She’s a blessing more than anything. I wouldn’t have her any other way.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like it xx


	3. Chapter 2

Harriet's mind came back to consciousness as she slowly started to wake up, blinking her eyes open. She squinted her eyes to get used to the darkness while she looked around, noticing that it was still nighttime, checking her phone on the side table to find it having been only three hours since she slept. She rubbed her eyes to clear out the tiny bit of sleep in her as she quietly got up from bed, putting on her fluffy, black home slippers before exiting her room. She made her way to her daughter's room and entered it. Genevieve was sleeping soundly in her bed, her teddy bear tucked under her arm as she lay on her right side, facing the window which let in some light through the curtain from outside. Harriet sat at the corner and gazed at her, placing her hand on her foot and massaging it softly. She saw how the blanket only covered a few parts of her body, which led her to reach out for the blanket and tuck her in. 

The movement might have startled Genevieve awake as she turned on her back, her eyes searching to see who it was before smiling when she realized it was her mother. She stretched out her arms for her to hold, wiggling her fingers. Harriet's expression contorted into one of apology as she got closer to her daughter, caressing her cheek. 

"I'm sorry I woke you, baby."

Genevieve wrapped her fingers around Harriet's wrist once she got close enough and pulled her, making Harriet dramatically fall onto her other side, even though the little tug hardly did anything. However, the exaggeration and Harriet's bewildered expression caused the little girl to erupt into a fit of giggles. 

"Oh my, my daughter's getting really strong, huh? Soon you're going to be able to defeat Uncle Niall in wrestling if you continue eating your vegetables and fruits."

"I have already defeated him, Momma. When you and Mommy were out, Uncle Ni and I had a match and I won."

She flexed her baby muscles, a proud smile on her face, tucking herself back into her blanket after. Harriet smiled, kissing both her cheeks and then her forehead.

"My brave girl. I'm so proud of you. Next time, we're going to fight against Uncle Ni together and share the win, okay?"

Genevieve nodded enthusiastically, her eyes bright from the thought, making Harriet laugh and ruffle her hair. Though, sleep and weariness was still evident in her expressions, leading Harriet to eventually get up from the bed. 

"Go to sleep now, baby. Don't work that head of yours too much."

She made her way to Genevieve's side, bending down to give her a goodnight kiss after which she received her own from her daughter. They bid goodnight to each other before Harriet left the room. She, then, walked downstairs instead of her bedroom to get a glass of cold water, her throat suddenly sparse from thirst. As she downed her glass of water, the main door clicked open before a figure entered the house, halting Harriet's movements. She placed the glass on the counter before she strode her way to the individual, joining her hands behind her. 

"Louise?"

She jolted from her unexpected voice, her eyes finding Harriet's as she stood straighter and smiled at her. 

"Harriet, I missed you!"

Harriet raised her eyebrow when she heard her words slur, the stench of alcohol breath seeking her nostrils two feet away from where she was standing, making her confused. 

"Louise, you're drunk."

"No I'm not." A hiccup followed her words, then a burp, causing Louise to put a hand to her mouth, a sheepish expression on her face. "Okay, maybe a little."

Louise stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Harriet, nuzzling her nose in her neck as she took in long breaths. Astounded by her move, all Harriet could do was stand idle while Louise continued her ministrations, her thoughts running a thousand miles per minute. 

"Louise."

"Hmm?"

Harriet tore herself away from her and moved away, walking into the kitchen to grab a glass of water for her, Louise trailing after her. 

"You're drunk. You need to drink some water."

Louise frowned as she glanced at the glass, offended from the fact that Harriet suggested such a thing. She shook her head, pouting at her to move it away so that she could cuddle Harriet. When Harriet didn't move, she sighed, reaching out for the glass and gulping it down in one go. 

"Happy? Now hold me." 

Harriet got two seconds to prepare before Louise threw herself onto her again, causing her to almost lose her balance from all the sudden weight. Breathing out a sharp breath from her nose, Harriet took small steps forward as her arms secured around Louise's waist so that she didn't fall flat on her face. 

"What have you been eating? Jeez, you're so heavy."

"Oh sod off. You're just being dramatic. I have plenty of healthy food."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"I had some lentil soup for lunch and grilled Bruschetta Chicken for dinner."

Harriet raised her eyebrows, surprised, "Damn. Which restaurant have you been getting food from?"

There was a delay of response on Louise's part as Harriet walked up the last of the stairs, then she mumbled, shrugging, "Just some local place nearby."

Once she reached their bedroom, Harriet let go of Louise, telling her to stand on her own and go to the washroom when she opened her mouth to complain. Louise whined at the thought of doing work on her own before grumpily accepting the task, leaving Harriet to go and get her nightclothes. 

She found Louise laying in the bath tub, her eyes closed as her chest raised and fell calmingly, making Harriet pause and just look at her for a moment. Her hair were tied loosely, several strands coming out of it and falling on her face. Her shirt was wrinkled from all angles, almost as if someone took it off and gathered it into a ball, pressing it tightly to get it all rumpled. Beads of sweat had formed on her forehead from the heat, the usual creases were smoothed out as she continued to sleep.

Getting a hold of herself, she walked over to her and gently lifted her arm, tapping her shoulder, "Lou, wake up. You can't sleep like that."

She slowly opened her eyes, her eyes blinking before smiling when she saw Harriet, holding her hands out for her to take.

"You need to vomit. Are you feeling nauseous?"

Louise grimaced at the thought and shook her head. Harriet pursed her lips and nodded her head, lifting Louise up from where she lay and helped her step out of the bathtub. She sat her on a short stool in front of the toilet, telling her to lean in. Louise closed her eyes as Harriet brought her two fingers to her throat, pressing them in till she felt her gag, removing them to let it come out. She did it two more times to make sure her stomach was cleared before she got up and washed her hands in the sink. 

"The things I do for you, honestly."

Louise came up behind her and snaked her arms around Harriet, securing them above her belly button as she rested her head on Harriet's shoulder. Harriet looked at her through the mirror, their eyes meeting. After a minute, Harriet shut off the water tap and turned around, their faces inches close to each other as they stared at each other. They moved closer, lips almost touching. Almost.

Harriet moved her face away and looked down at her hand, offering it to Louise.

"Here, brush your teeth."

Louise continued to look at Harriet and didn't make a move.

"Don't tell me you want me to brush your teeth as well."

Harriet gave her a stern look. Louise grinned, showing her teeth. She sighed. Bringing the toothpaste to the brush, Louise watched Harriet take care of her, telling her to open her mouth so that she could brush her teeth and then poking her tongue to let it out for her to clean. When she was all done, Harriet handed Louise her nightclothes and left the room without a word, searching for some ibuprofen before fetching a bottle of water and a glass. She carried them to the room, stopping in her tracks temporarily when she saw Louise sitting on the bed in nothing but her undergarments, her nightclothes placed next to her as she looked outside the window. Harriet furrowed her eyebrows.

"You didn't change."

Louise turned her head towards Harriet, a shy smile on her lips as she grabbed the clothes and lifted them to Harriet, making her raise her eyebrow.

"Help."

"I didn't know I was signing up for two children instead of one."

She laughed when she saw her pout, placing the items which were in her hand on the side table before instructing Louise to stand up. She did what she was asked a tad bit too quick, the sudden movement causing Louise to close her eyes and furrow her eyebrows, her hand pressing on her temples. Harriet brought her hand to her cheek, stroking it softly, "Your head won't hurt after you take a painkiller and drink some more water. For now, let's get you changed into something comfortable."

She picked up the shirt that was on the bed and brought it to Louise's head, letting it through the hole before poking her arms as a way of getting her to raise them one by one. 

Once done with that, Harriet glanced at the pajamas then back at Louise, picking it up and getting down on her knees to get it on quickly. From this angle, Harriet could see underneath Louise's shirt, her being face to face with her crotch suddenly making her feel shy. Holding the pajamas in her hand, Harriet tapped Louise's left thigh to get her foot through one hole, her obeying without a word. She kept her eyes focused on the pajamas even though she knew Louise was looking at her, watching her every move. 

"There. All done. Now have your tablet and water, then go to bed."

•••

It was 4:00 am in the morning and Harriet was wide awake, staring at the ceiling as her thoughts refused to dim down so that she could get some sleep. There was nothing but silence surrounding her, the sounds of cars driving by having stopped long ago. She looked to her side where her fiancée lay in deep slumber, her arm tucked under her head as her chest rose and fell. Harriet gazed at her features, having not had the chance to admire them for quite a while considering Louise always had work until really late at night and some days Harriet had shoots to go to early in the morning. 

She turned to face Louise, the position reminding her of their first kiss, the day she found out that there could be a chance to be with the person she always dreamed of. 

_ After they'd calmed down, Harriet looked at Louise, searching her eyes for clarity. "So, you don't hate me, do you?" _

_ Louise shook her head, "of course not. I've wanted to kiss you for so long." _

_ Harriet smirked, "oh yeah?" Louise nodded, making her grin. She lifted herself up and hovered over Louise, her necklace hanging off of her neck as she lowered her head and kissed her. _

_ "Me too." _

Her eyes casted to her own neck where the necklace still dangled. She remembered how excited and happy she was the day she first wore it, flaunting it around for everyone to see. It was a gift from Louise, something she'd bought after saving enough of her pocket money. Harriet had made sure to show it off to all of her family members, both, the necklace and the fact that Louise had bought it for  _ her _ .

She looked back towards Louise, her peaceful expression bringing content to Harriet's heart. She raised her hand slowly, carefully placing it on her cheek in a way which didn't wake Louise up. She brushed her finger slowly against the softness of her skin, the gesture making Louise lean into the touch involuntarily. Harriet smiled. 

All of a sudden, a thought intruded her head which led her movement to come to an end, a wave of insecurity washing over her as she pulled back her hand quickly and averted her gaze away from the woman. She took in a few deep breaths to calm herself down, her heart suddenly racing as several notions raced through her mind, feeling unsettled. 

She shut her eyes, whispering to herself repeatedly, "We're still in love. There's nothing wrong. You're just overthinking things too much."

She stayed like that for a few minutes until sleep enveloped her, allowing her to have a moment of peace and rest.

•••

"Momma, it's morning."

She woke up to a small whisper in her ear, feeling her tiny body pressed close to her own, making Harriet bite back a small smile while she continued to keep her eyes closed and pretend to be asleep, wondering what she was going to do.

The thought tarnished as soon as a pillow landed on her square in the face, causing Harriet to open her eyes wide. Her shocked face resulted in making Genevieve giggle, holding her hands to her stomach as she plopped herself onto her back on the bed. 

"Oh you little monster." 

Harriet attacked her by smothering her face and neck with kisses while her hands tickled her stomach, both their laughs filling the room as Genevieve tried pushing her mother away. 

"Momma! N— no tickles." 

"Give me a kiss on my cheek, then I'll think about it."

Harriet paused her hand motions as Genevieve leaned forward to place a kiss on Harriet's left cheek. Harriet frowned.

"This kiss wasn't sweet enough. Do it on my right cheek now."

Genevieve snickered as Harriet enthusiastically offered her other cheek, smiling brightly. She pulled her into a tight hug, swaying her dramatically. Only then she noticed the absence of a certain someone from the other side of the bed, making Harriet frown. She looked everywhere in the room to see if there was any sign of Louise, but all she saw was the closet door open wide. 

"Honey, you know where Mommy is?"

Genevieve pulled away from her mother's embrace and nodded, "She entered my room and kissed my cheeks before she left. I think it was work. She looked really pretty, though."

Harriet smiled, running a hand through her daughter's hair to straighten out the strands, "You're such a sweet baby," she patted her back, getting up from the bed, "Let's go downstairs and have some breakfast now, shall we?"

"Yes please."

"What do you feel like having, baby?"

Genevieve paused for a moment, her brows furrowing as she made a show of putting her hand on her chin, expressing the fact that she was thinking. 

"French toast!"

"Coming right up, ma'am."

Genevieve grabbed Harriet's hand as they walked out of the bedroom and near the stairs, "Momma, may we watch  _ The Little Mermaid  _ while we have breakfast?" Her lips formed into a pout in order to convince Harriet, making her chuckle, "As long as you finish your food on the plate, we may."

She knew at that moment, watching Genevieve shriek, clap and jump with excitement, that nothing mattered to her more than her daughter's happiness.

•••

"Hey Liam."

**"Hi Harriet. It's been a while, hasn't it?"**

Harriet smiled, her hand twiddling with the curtain rope as she held the phone to her ear, "Yeah. How's Maya?"

**"She's doing really well. Everything's going great. You? Everything good on the other side?"**

She sighed, biting her lip, "Uhm yeah it is. I just called to see if you knew where Louise was? It's really late and she still hasn't come home."

**"Oh Lou didn't tell you? She had an urgent meeting with her staff in New York for the Fashion Week that's coming up. She flew there this morning."**

Harriet paused, her eyes narrowing as she took in a deep breath, "She left for New York without telling me? Did she tell you when she was coming back?"

**"She said she was still unsure of it. Maybe you should call her and check for yourself."**

Harriet sighed, hitting her hand on her head in frustration, "Okay. Thank you, Liam."

**"No worries."**

After getting off the phone, Harriet balled up her fists, breathing in and out to calm herself down before she started freaking out.

It's okay. Louise was in a hurry. She probably didn't want to wake you up. 

Noticing that it was 3:00 am in the morning, she dialed Louise's number, hoping she'd pick up since it wasn't too late at night on her side. She picked up on the fifth ring.

**"Hey Haz."**

"Hey. How's work going?"

**"It's going really well. We've come up with new designs that'll help with the fashion week that's in three months."**

"So you really are in New York, huh? I thought Liam was pulling my leg. Then again, he shouldn't be the one telling me about things like these, but beggars can't be choosers, now can they?"

She heard her sigh, **"Look Harrie—"**

"No no. It's alright. I'm just being bitchy. You were busy with work clouding your head. It's important. I get it. I just wanted to ask when you'd be coming back."

**"Uhm, this may take me a while so maybe a week."**

Harriet plopped on the sofa, her fingers fiddling with her bottom lip, "Okay."

**"Okay?"**

"Yeah okay. I'll just wait for you to come back home."

There was silence for two minutes.

"I'll get to bed now since it's really late."

**"Okay. Goodnight."**

Sighing, she clicked off her phone and threw it on the couch. Just then, she got reminded of the happenings of the night before, making her shut her eyes and shake her head. A minute later, she took in a deep breath and got up from the sofa, walking upstairs to her room. 

•••

"Where are we going, Momma?"

Harriet turned around to face Genevieve, bending down to pick her up before swinging them both around, her tiny hands clutching tightly around her neck as she giggled. 

After she slowed down to catch their breaths, she spoke, "We are going to go visit Nana!"

Genevieve gasped, "Are Aunt Jesse and Oliver going to be there?"

Harriet booped her nose, "Hmm, maybe. Guess we'll have to go and check for ourselves," she shrugged casually, smiling when Genevieve jumped and rushed out the bedroom to her room. 

"Wait, I have to pack my toys, Momma!" Her voice sounded loudly in the hallway.

•••

She rang the doorbell and stepped back, waiting for someone to open the door so that she could put their bags inside which she currently held to her side. Genevieve went to knock on the door to make the owners of the house more aware of their arrival, but instead bumped into a pair of legs who opened the door just in time. She looked up and squealed, jumping for Athene to pick her up and hug her. 

"Oh my. Two princesses at my door. What a lovely surprise." 

Harriet melted as she watched her mother and daughter interact.

"Nana, I missed you!"

"I missed you so much more, my darling."

Athene laughed fondly as she cuddled closer to the little girl, her eyes finding Harriet's teary ones, where she still stood two feet away from the pair, bags in hand. She gestured for her to join the embrace, holding both her girls close after staying apart for more than two years. 

"Welcome home, baby."

After a few seconds, they pulled apart. Athene held the door as Genevieve helped Harriet bring the bags in before closing it, walking further into the lounge. Harriet breathed in the smell of her childhood home, feeling content with finally being able to see her family again. 

"Genny?"

"Oliver!"

The two children shouted together as they hugged in excitement, Genevieve immediately leaving Harriet's side to join Oliver as they made their way to play with toys, leaving the adults alone.

Her mother walked into the lounge after Harriet, smiling, "You aren't the only one who pulled a surprise." 

Right then, Jesse walked down the stairs carefully slow, her obvious baby bump making Harriet's jaw open in shock. Her hands covered her mouth as Jesse came closer, wide smiles on both their faces as they finally reunited. 

"Oh my god. Jesse, you look  _ absolutely beautiful _ ."

She made a beeline for her sister and wrapped her in an embrace, Harriet suddenly feeling emotional. She pulled away and glanced at the baby bump in awe, her eyes twinkling as she remembered the day she found out her sister was pregnant with Oliver at the same time they adopted Genevieve. 

She looked back up, "May I?"

She nodded, allowing Harriet to place her hand on the bump and feel it, her other hand covering her mouth again, this time because of the tears. "Since when?"

"February mid. She's going to come out soon." 

_ Now _ Harriet was definitely crying. Her eyes, wide with tears of joy, gazed at Jesse, then at her mother and then back at her sister. 

"She? It's a girl?"

Jesse smiled, her eyes filled with tears as well as she placed her hand on Harriet's chin, "Yes, Haz. It's a girl. I can't wait to meet her."

Harriet sat herself on her knees in front of Jesse and hugged her stomach, pressing her ear to her bump to check if she could hear any sounds before pressing small, light kisses on the side. 

"You're going to be just as beautiful and strong as your mother, you sweet little girl," she looked up at her sister, "I wish you and your family all the happiness and love. Oh my god, I'm so happy! I'm going to be an aunt again." Jesse smiled as Athene joined the pair, hugging the two of them, joyful from the fact that both her daughters are with her at the same time. 

•••

After they had dinner and a long talk session with her sister and her mum in the latter's bedroom, Harriet bid them goodnight and exited the room. Making her way to her room, she found Genevieve lying on the sofa, her eyes following whatever that was on the television in front of her. She walked towards her and sat herself down besides her.

"Genny," she said. 

"Yes, Momma?"

Harriet looked around the room, the mess of various toys on the carpet catching her eye, "Where's Oliver?"

Genevieve smiled at her mum, "He said it's past his bedtime, so he's gone to sleep."

She raised her eyebrow, "Oh? So, shouldn't you be in bed as well?"

"Yes Momma, but  _ Power Puff Girls  _ is on right now. I'll go to bed after it finishes."

Harriet raised her pinky, "Promise?"

Genevieve locked it with her own pinky, the size difference between their fingers making Harriet fond, "Promise. Now, you stay here and watch it with me, Momma."

"Okay baby."

As the show progressed, Harriet combed her fingers through Genevieve's hair, her head resting comfortably on her mother's chest and Harriet's head on her daughter's. They stayed like that for a while before her eyes started drooping, her breathing getting heavy as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

•••

The next day, she woke up to a soft blanket covering her with her head resting on a pillow while she lay on the sofa. She noticed a certain five year old missing from her arms, making her pop her head from under the blanket and search for her. She found her in the kitchen with her mother, both invested in deep conversation as Genevieve rolled something and handed it over to her grandmum. Harriet rubbed her eyes and stretched out her limbs as she watched the two from the kitchen window.

She got off from the sofa and strolled to the kitchen, opening the door just a tiny bit to get a better look at what they were doing. 

"What is it again?"

"Cinnamon rolls. They're your mum's favorite."

"Cinnamon rolls? Momma never made them."

Athene smiled, taking a pinch of flour and playfully putting it on Genevieve's cheek, "That's because when she tried to make them, she ended up disliking the way they tasted. So, she only eats the ones your grandmum makes."

"Lou loves them tons more than I do. She'd do anything to get a grab on those goodies."

Genevieve gasped, "No, Momma! You were supposed to be asleep. Grandmum and I are having our special time right now which is only for grandmum and Genevieve."

"Genny's right. You're not allowed to be in the kitchen at the moment, so shoo."

Harriet pouted, "It smells so good in here though. I'll just stay here on the stool and watch. No touching."

Athene and Genevieve looked at each other, then the little girl sighed, much to Harriet's amusement, "Fine. You can stay, but you're not eating anything until it's all ready."

She held up two thumbs up, so that they knew she heard her loud and clear.

"So, speaking about Louise. Where's she?"

Harriet sat up straighter, "She is currently in New York planning all the new clothes and stuff. For Fashion Week."

Athene raised her eyebrow, her head turning towards Harriet as her hand continued to mix ingredients in a bowl, Genevieve sitting on a stool, playing with the dough.

"You guys didn't go with her?"

Harriet shook her head, "Nope. We decided that since it's been a while since Genevieve and I haven't met you guys in a while, we'd come here, and Louise would go to New York for a week for her work."

"Oh, so is she going to come here after?"

Harriet shrugged, "Didn't really say anything about it, but I'll mention it to her tonight when I call her. For now, let's get these moving so that I can have my favorite treats."

•••

"Gen, come here. We're gonna call Mommy."

As Genevieve tidied up the stuff she was playing with, Harriet turned on her laptop and waited for it to load before FaceTiming Louise.

"Hey, Lou."

**"Hi Harriet. Hi Genny."**

"Hi Mommy! We're at Nana's house right now. I helped Nana make Cinnamon Rolls for Momma."

**"Oh, is that so? How did they turn out?"**

"They were really good. Momma loved them, right?"

Harriet nodded, smiling at her daughter, "Yes, baby. You made them, so of course I'd love them."

As Louise and Genevieve conversed, Harriet watched the screen, there being no light in the room Louise was in besides the light from the laptop. Her head was rested on a pillow, presuming her laptop was placed on her stomach. 

"Mum asked about you."

Louise raised her eyebrow,  **"She did? What'd she say?"**

Harriet looked down at her daughter who was looking at her other mother on the screen, "She asked if you were going to come for a visit soon. Jesse is pregnant and is going to have her baby soon, so she thought it'd be nice to have everyone together again."

She paused, waiting for Louise's reply to what she just said. 

**"Well, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to come in time for the baby, but we can plan a family trip soon."**

"Why not?"

Louise sighed, "Harriet, you know I have work."

Harriet pursed her lips, her eyes travelling down to the keyboard before she disappointedly nodded her head,  **"Oh yeah. Silly me. Could you tell your mum and sisters about Jesse's baby. Julia would be really happy with the news, as well as the twins."**

"If I speak to them later, then I will," she answered. There was some shuffling noise in the background that Harriet caught on just as Louise shifted, moving more to her right and sitting up as her eyes looked off camera for a few minutes.

"Is something wrong?"

**"Huh? Oh nothing. I'm just really tired right now. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow after work."**

Harriet nodded as Genevieve waved and wished her mother goodnight, blowing a kiss before she let Harriet end the call. 

"Let's go to bed ourselves now, Miss Genny."

"Okay, Momma."

With that, Harriet picked up her laptop and placed it on her bedside table, putting the throw pillows on the ground so that there was more space for Genevieve and Harriet to sleep in. She turned off the lamp once her daughter settled under the blanket.

"Goodnight, Momma. I love you."

She placed a kiss on her cheek, "I love you more, baby. Goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was small and boring, soz :(


End file.
